Pretend For The Weekend
by sdl90
Summary: It was only supposed to be pretend. One night as a couple then back to normal. But when alcohol and poor judgment fuel a night of passion, pretend becomes more real than either Finn or Rachel were ever prepared for. AU
1. The Question

Yes, yet another fic I am working on. I missed writing a multi-chapter and I've been itching to write a fic like this for a while so here I am fulfilling a finchel-prompt. I hope updates won't take too long on this one and I hope you all enjoy. :)

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Finn was in the middle of a nap when his phone began ringing, the noise rousing him from the fantastic dream about a giant pair of breasts he was having and thrusting him into a conversation with a loud Latina he hadn't spoken to in months. He could hear her yelling in Spanish and the sound of a horn honking.

"_Frankenteen, it's Santana_," she started after the excess noise died down.

"Yeah, I got that from the screaming Spanish." He yawned widely and looked at the clock next to his bed. It was quarter to four which meant he had to be into the restaurant in about two hours. "What's up?"

"_I'm calling because while I love my fiancée dearly, she's not the brightest bulb in the pack. Instead of throwing the recycling in the paper bin, she threw our RSVPs to the wedding in there and kept the recycling. So we have a few holes in our attendance list. I'm calling because you're one of those holes. I need to know what you checked off on your RSVP card._"

Finn sat up and rubbed his face before climbing out of bed and stretching. "I'll be there. I remember checking that box."

"_That's what I figured, but I can't remember if you said you were bringing someone or not. I figured you weren't because you always attend events stag-_"

"I don't _always_ attend events stag," he interjected before she could paint him as a sad sap that had never gotten over her. "Believe it or not, you aren't the only woman I've ever dated."

"_Oh yeah, I forgot about Penelope. Did she finally deflate from you poking her so often?_" She laughed into his ear, clearly pleased with herself.

"Penelope wasn't even mine! She was Puck's doll!"

"_I seem to recall having a few pictures of you getting quite intimate with Penelope on more than one occasion._"

"I was drunk and trying to be funny. For your information, I checked that I would be bringing a plus one and it will not be a blow-up doll."

Santana's tone turned to surprise. "_Really? Well, this is a surprise. Are you paying for her services?_"

"Did you ever think that maybe I don't talk about my love life with people because they tend to butt into it kinda like you are now? Who I date is my business and I don't want everyone else trying to tell me what to do. The last time I had such a public relationship it came back to bite me in the ass which you should remember since it was with you."

He heard her scoff. "_Are you still pissed at me about that? It happened eight years ago, get over it. And I'm not butting. I'm merely trying to figure out what flaw this woman has that she would willingly go out in public with you._" Santana chuckled.

"Santana…" he growled in return.

"_Would you relax? I'm kidding. If you have found someone, I'm happy for you. But just to clarify, do you have a girlfriend?_"

Finn groaned and exited his bedroom for the bathroom. "Just put me down on the guest list. I gotta go, Santana, I'll see you Saturday." He ended the call and threw his phone on the counter before hopping in the shower to get ready for work.

Sometimes he still wondered why he was friends with Santana. He had every reason not to be after what she had done to him, but at the same time, he still felt a connection with her. She had been his first serious girlfriend, the first girl he had ever slept with, his first heartbreak. Despite trying to distance himself from her, the universe seemed to keep bringing them back together so he decided to stop fighting it and allowed for a friendship to bloom. Once he got over his issues with her, they had been able to reach a comfortable place with one another and now eight years later he was attending her wedding.

As he climbed out of the shower and started drying off, his phone began to ring again. When he saw Kurt's name flash on the screen, he thought about ignoring the call figuring he'd just be calling to tell him not to wear so much plaid again or something stupid like that, but thought better of it when he remembered last time and how he showed up at his house to raid his closet instead.

"Hello, Kurt," he answered over speaker phone as he wrapped his towel around his waist, anticipating the flood of words that would be coming at him.

"_Why didn't you tell me? I am your brother, I deserve to know these things before Santana. What happened to family first?_" It all came out in one breath.

"Wait, slow down. What are you talking about?"

Kurt scoffed like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "_Hello? Your girlfriend? I had to hear from Santana Lopez that you have a new girlfriend? Who is she? Where did you meet? How long have you two been seeing each other? When did this happen and why haven't we heard anything about this yet?_"

Finn stopped what he was doing and stared down at his phone. "Girlfriend? What are you talking about?"

Kurt sighed dramatically. "_Really, Finn, you should have laid off the football in high school because clearly it has addled your brain. Your girlfriend…the one that Santana informed me you would be bringing to her wedding? She said that she called to find out the status of your RSVP and you said you were attending and bringing your secret girlfriend with you._"

Finn gripped the edge of his sink and bowed his head between his arms. This wasn't happening. "She misunderstood what I said, Kurt."

"_So you aren't bringing your girlfriend to her wedding? But we all want to meet her!_"

"Kurt, I," then it hit him, "…wait, _all_? Who is all?"

"_Me, Santana, Brittany, dad, mom-_"

"You told mom?" he screeched into the phone as he picked it up. If his mom caught wind that he had a girlfriend, he'd never hear the end of it. She had been pestering him about meeting someone ever since he graduated high school.

"_I didn't have to. Santana sent out a text to her entire phonebook stating you're bringing a date that isn't Penelope._"

"You have got to be kidding me," he grumbled to himself until his phone beeped with call waiting. His mother's name shone and he knew she was going to be asking all the same questions Kurt was. "Dude, I gotta go. I have call waiting…for work." He didn't need Kurt knowing he was on the phone with his mom.

"_You didn't answer any of my-_" He clicked over before Kurt could even finish.

"Hey Mom," he attempted to greet cheerily. She was going to be sorely disappointed when he had to tell her the truth.

"_I heard the news! You've got a girlfriend and you're bringing her to Santana's wedding. I'm so glad you're finally ready to introduce us to someone. All I've wanted was for you to find someone you're happy with…and grandchildren._"

"Mom, about that…see…my girlfriend…"

"_Tell me about her. We don't know anything because you never bring anyone around to meet us. I had to find out about the last one after she showed up at Doctor Moyer's office six months pregnant. She really had me scared that it was yours and I knew nothing about her. Thank goodness you two had been broken up for six months before she got pregnant._"

That was when Finn realized he didn't have the heart to let his mother down again. She was just too excited for him to be happy, he didn't want to disappoint her and be laughed at again because he was showing up alone to one of his oldest friends' wedding.

"We haven't really been together that long," he lied, "but she's really excited about the wedding and meeting you. I'm sorry, Mom, but I need to get ready for work." Really he needed to get off the phone before he dug himself into a deeper hole.

"_Alright. Tell her I look forward to meeting her on Saturday as well, okay? I love you, Finn. Have a nice night at work._"

Finn said goodbye and hung up the phone before sinking onto the toilet and holding his head. He was screwed. Why couldn't he have just told Santana he would go alone? When he had put that he would be bringing a plus one, he was actually with someone he thought might be worthy of introducing to his family, until she moved to China for her job. He'd been single ever since, sometimes bringing home the occasional girl for a night of fun, but always booting them to the curb with some cab fare home the next morning. Honestly, he was growing tired of the whole courtship, dating type scene. If he was going to be with a girl, he wanted her to be the one, otherwise, some frivolous sex was enough to get him by. His heart had gone through the ringer with the girls he had given it to and he wasn't sure it could handle much more. But he had said to put him down for a plus one and somehow Santana had construed that to mean he had a girlfriend, which now he had three days to find.

He was screwed.

When Finn made his way into work that night, he was preoccupied with figuring out how he could fake having a girlfriend at Santana's wedding. There was always Santana's suggestion, paying someone to go with him, but that seemed sleazy, or he could actually find a girlfriend but he only had three days and that wasn't much time to find a good one. Then there was the plan he was leaning most towards, asking a friend for a favor. The only problem was, he wasn't sure if any friends would help.

As he leaned on the bar, he contemplated his options. He couldn't ask Quinn, everyone knew she was back with Puckerman and going as his date, he couldn't ask Mercedes as she was married, no one would believe him with Sugar, he didn't know many other quality girls.

"I am so sorry I am late," a feminine voice called from behind Finn as a blur of long brunette hair passed by him. "There was an accident on Broadway and I was stuck in a cab and just missed the train." Finn didn't say anything as she stood next to him, waiting for an answer. He just kept staring forward blankly, not moving or saying anything. She waved her hand in his face. "Finn? Is everything alright?"

Finally, he jolted back to life and looked down at the girl. As she stared back up at him with her wide, chocolate brown eyes, biting her lip with a shy smile on her face, a light bulb went off over his head. This was the girl. She was the one who could pass as his girlfriend.

Rachel was sweet and nice and cute and pretty, a little loud and overbearing, but if she was willing to help him, she would be perfect. He just needed to ask if she would and really sell it.

"Finn?"

His lip tugged up in a pleased half-smirk as his eyes scanned her body. "Yeah…"

Rachel's eyes flickered around the bar. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He leaned onto the bar. "Hey, Rachel, could I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure…?"

He leaned on the bar and looked in her eyes. "Are you doing anything on Saturday?"

Rachel's mouth fell open and she turned to grab an apron. "Um, no. Why, do you need me to work? I wouldn't mind picking up an extra shift."

"Actually, I was wondering if maybe you might want to go out with me." He shrugged and smiled at her again.

This time Rachel snorted and rolled her eyes. "I have to get to work. Happy hour is starting soon." She turned away from Finn and logged onto the computer under her employee number to start her bartending shift. A man who just sat at the bar caught her attention and she walked toward him to get his order. Finn followed behind her.

"That wasn't really an answer, Rachel."

Rachel turned around to go to the shelf to grab what she needed for a bourbon highball. "Finn, I'm a very busy woman, I don't exactly have time to date."

"But you just said you weren't busy on Saturday."

She swallowed and side glanced at him before pouring the bourbon. "Well, Saturday I'm not…but why would you want to go out with me? I'm your employee and I've seen the girls you leave here with some nights – big boobs, blonde hair, tall and leggy. It doesn't seem like I'm your type." She mixed the drink and walked back to the man.

"I don't have a type. I date women I find…interesting."

Rachel cocked her eyebrow at him before skirting around him to the other end of the bar. "You mean you date women who are willing to sleep with you, of which I am not. I'm sorry, Finn, but I'm just not interested."

"Well, what about a favor then?"

Rachel started laughing nervously. "I am _not_ sleeping with you," she asserted, wondering if this fell under sexual harassment in the work place.

Finn shook his head and his hands, squashing that thought. "No, no, that's not what I need." He sighed and pulled her over to the side. "My friend is getting married on Saturday and everyone that will be there thinks I have a girlfriend but I don't. I said I was going to show up with one though…"

"And you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend," she deduced, crossing her arms over her chest.

"…Yeah."

"Why me? I've worked here two months now and you've hardly spoken to me and when you have it's only been about work. I am nothing like the girls you parade through here with. So why would you ask me?"

Finn stepped closer. "You're nice, sweet, pretty; you just seem like a good person. I think you'd probably make a really great girlfriend. I know I don't know you very well, but every time we talked, we've gotten along."

Rachel fought not to be flattered. She didn't want her cheeks to flush and her giggles to betray her. She flipped the acting switch and turned on the attitude. "You walk out of here with pretty girls. Why not take one of them?"

"None of them have a degree in theatre."

"So you only want me to go with you because I can act?"

"That's not the _only_ reason, but it would be helpful."

"I still don't fully understanding why. Why do you have to have a girlfriend? Just take a date. I'm sure you can get one just fine."

Finn took a deep breath and leaned on the back counter. "It's just…my family is really excited to meet my girlfriend because I don't bring women I like home that often. They think I've been single for eight years so I know my mother is flipping out and will be really disappointed if I show up alone. I don't want to pay someone to act like the perfect girlfriend and I can't trust some random girl to play the part and everyone already knows my friends so they wouldn't believe if we were dating. You would be perfect though. You're the girl next door and my mom would love you."

"So you want to lie to your mother? What happens if she does love me? Are we supposed to keep pretending to date? That's deceitful. Are you really comfortable lying to your friends and family?"

"It's just for a night and then we can have a spectacular break-up."

"So then you're mother can hate me? No thanks." Rachel pushed past Finn and moved to another person at the bar.

"She won't hate you. We'll have a mutual split and then we'll move on to find real relationships or whatever. It's just one night. That's all I'm asking. There's an open bar, free food, dancing, knowing Santana there will be karaoke… Please? I won't ask for anything from you again." Finn gave her a pouty puppy dog face and Rachel could feel her face getting flush despite her efforts at quelling the goofy teenage girl in her.

She shook her head and closed her eyes before turning back to Finn. "Can I get some time to think about it?"

Finn's expression turned hopeful. "You're going to think about it?"

"As much as I find lying deplorable, I understand the need to want to show off and I know how depressing it can be to go to a wedding alone. Can I give you my answer tomorrow?"

Finn's grin cracked into a face splitting smile and he gave her a startled hug. "Thank you, Rachel. Of course you can. Anything you want."

"Great. Can I go back to work now?"

"Yeah, yeah. Yeah." Finn backed away slowly and left Rachel alone in the bar to handle the incoming crowd while he got busy celebrating his good fortune.

That night when Rachel went home, she thought about her shift at work. It had been surreal Finn asking her to pretend to be his girlfriend to please his family. She barely knew him and he barely knew her. He hadn't even been the one who hired her, Noah had because he thought she was 'sneaky hot' and Jews needed to stick together. But there Finn was…all cute and innocent trying to sway her with his dimples and little smile. She had to admit, her boss was cute and she had entertained some fantasies of being the one on his arm at the end of the night, but she wasn't stupid enough to get involved with the man who paid her. She needed that job and she wasn't going to let a silly little crush get her fired.

But it could be fun to play that part just for one night. What would it hurt? She could have a good night out with a hot guy which was something she hadn't done in a while. It had been so long since Rachel had a night out or had a boyfriend or even a date. She figured she was a last ditch effort but being that he needed her…well she felt rather powerful. In some ways, she had the upper hand here.

As Rachel fell asleep that night, she played what the wedding could possibly be like with Finn as her date and when she woke up the next morning, she knew she was going to say yes. She was no match against those dimples.

The next day when Rachel strolled into work, she went right up to Finn before even clocking in.

"I have one condition if you want a date for Saturday."

Finn looked stunned but nodded. "Sure."

"It has to be real. No half-assing it, got it?"

He squinted as he looked at her. "By real you mean…"

"I mean, real. We need to act like a couple which means, hand holding, hugging, kissing, doing all the gross coupley stuff. If we're going to fool anyone it needs to be natural as well. I may be an actress, but you aren't an actor so we may need to work on it. So, we have two days to create a relationship. Can you do that?"

Finn nodded and looked around the restaurant before turning back to her and quietly asking, "Do you wanna do dinner tonight?"

"I can't. I have to work."

"Consider it a paid business dinner. Puck can cover the bar tonight. Come on, let's go." Finn jumped over the counter and put his hand on the small of Rachel's back to lead her out of the restaurant. They had a lot to do in a very short amount of time.

He just hoped they could pull it off.


	2. The Date

Wow, I just want to thank everyone for their reviews, favorites, follows, etc. The response to this story so far is more than I ever expected. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Here's chapter two! Enjoy!

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"So where do you wanna go for our _first date_?" he emphasized the last words, trying to make this whole thing more realistic.

"I thought this was a business dinner?" Rachel cocked her eyebrow at him.

"Can't it be both? If we're going to fake date, shouldn't we have a fake first date?"

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not exactly dressed for anything fancy."

"Doesn't matter. We can go wherever you want."

"Doubtful."

"Try me," he challenged.

A half an hour later they found themselves at Sardi's.

"How did you manage to waltz us right in here?" Rachel queried, resting her chin in her hand. "Usually you need a reservation or a wait."

"I've got connections."

"Oh God, Hudson's isn't a cover for the mafia is it? Are you some kind of Tony Soprano?"

Finn let out a hearty laugh and took a sip of his water. "One, I'm not even Italian, and two, if I was really in the mafia, do you think I'd tell you?"

"There's always the Irish mafia."

A grin stretched his face. "I'm not in the mafia. If you want the truth, my dad is Burt Hummel."

"The Congressman?" Finn nodded. "Did you change your last name or something?"

"Uh, no, no. Burt is my step-dad. My dad died when I was a baby, mom remarried when I was sixteen. She was a nurse who took care of Burt when he was at Lenox Hill after suffering a heart attack and once he came out of the coma they really hit it off. Back then he just owned his multimillion dollar tire shop chain. Then he got involved in politics because of my step-brother Kurt and ran for Congress. Life's been fairly good to us since my mom married Burt."

"So now you name drop and get in without reservations?"

"Only when I'm trying to impress pretty girls." He winked at her.

Rachel's cheeks pinked and she took a sip of water. "Basically every night then."

"Not _every_ night. Most people don't know I'm Congressman Hummel's step-son. I tend to stay out of the political spotlight he ends up in sometimes. I just want to take care of my restaurant and live as normal a life as I can. Politics is not my thing."

Their waiter arrived and took their order, ending their conversation about Finn's pedigree and thrusting them into one about the upcoming wedding.

"Well Finn, I think it's time we get to the business portion of this little date. If we're going to make this real we need to have a solid story."

"Agreed. How do you think we should play this?"

"As truthfully as possible. The devil really is in the details and the truer they are the easier it will be for us to fake our way through this. I think we should stick with how we really met. Puck hired me as a bartender at your restaurant and over time we bonded and then you asked me out. I initially declined as you are my boss but our chemistry was too much for us to deny so we began a quiet relationship. Even the people at work never suspected because we didn't want anyone to think I was receiving special treatment. Speaking of people at work…will Puckerman or any other coworkers be in attendance?"

"Puck is taking Quinn and the kids to Disney World this weekend so he won't be in town. No one else from work really knows Santana so they weren't invited. We just have my family and Santana to convince." Rachel sighed in relief and Finn furthered the conversation. "How long have we been together? The last girl I was with that I even considered bringing home had been with me for nearly three months."

Rachel seemed surprised by this tidbit. "Wow, that's a long time to hide a relationship. Were you ashamed of her or something?"

"What?" Finn reeled, "No, not at all. It's just that my family always gets involved in my business and with Burt being who he is, I just didn't want my girlfriend to be put under the microscope until we were both sure we could handle it."

"What happened that she didn't pass the test?" Rachel's eyes fell to her hands in her lap before she pushed some hair behind her ear and glanced back up at her date.

"Lily moved to China to teach English there."

"Oh." That deflated Rachel quickly. His ex-girlfriend was off teaching English to Chinese kids while Rachel was serving drinks to idiot college kids. It was a bit of a step down, especially for a Congressman's son, even if her real profession was that of a stage actress. It had been months since she had participated in a show. "Are you sure your parents will approve of me? Waitressing certainly isn't as impressive as moving to the other side of the world to teach a foreign language."

"Rachel, my step-dad grew up in a middle class family and was a grease monkey until about twenty-five and my mom was a single mother who worked twelve hour shifts at a time at a hospital. They're working class people who rose through the ranks. They care more about a person's character than their profession."

Rachel gave him a small smile and licked her bottom lip. "A month."

"What?"

"We've been dating for a month. Our first date was a romantic stroll through Central Park, dinner at Sardi's, then we went to see the revival of _West Side Story_, and when you dropped me off at home, we shared a perfect first kiss."

"Seems like it was a great date."

"It does, doesn't it?"

Their conversation flowed easily for the rest of the evening as they discussed their families, favorite colors, foods, movies, books, and other simple things real couples would know about one another until Rachel was sure Finn's ears were about to fall off.

Over the next two days, they quizzed each other and learned more about one another until they felt they had a solid enough background to substantiate a relationship that was believable. The true test would come the day of the wedding which approached quickly until Rachel was zipping up her dress and heard her phone beep with a new message.

_Outside your place_ Finn's text read when Rachel picked up her phone an hour before the wedding. She rushed back into her bedroom and slipped her off-white satin peep-toe sling-back pumps on and grabbed her matching clutch before checking her appearance in her bathroom mirror. She looked good in her cerulean cocktail dress with her low side bun and side swept bangs. Her dress was tight on her body, hugging every curve, and showing off her long legs and smooth shoulders and arms. Determining she looked good, Rachel grabbed her off-white cashmere wrap and headed for the elevator.

When Rachel made it outside she found Finn waiting against the cab for her, arms and legs crossed as he people watched on the street. He looked suave in his black on black suit, a blue tie to match Rachel's dress splashing the black with color and a pair of sunglasses hiding his eyes. His hair was carefully stylized into his usual fin and the persistent stubble that graced his face had been clean shaven. Rachel had to admit the man cleaned up nicely and looked quite sexy. As she composed herself and strolled up to him, his attention focused back on her.

He let out a low whistle and stood up straighter, pulling his sunglasses from his face. "Wow, you look great."

Rachel brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Thank you. Are we ready to go?"

"Yes, let's go have some fun." Finn opened the door for Rachel and helped her into the car, holding her hand. His skin tingled where their hands touched and Rachel's cheeks flamed as their fingers brushed when she withdrew her hand from his.

Finn ran around to the other side of the cab and climbed in next to her before telling the driver to take them to Rockefeller Plaza. Then he turned back to Rachel.

"Do you think we can do this?"

"I think if we stick to the story we'll be fine. We based our relationship in truth so it shouldn't be too hard to remember the details."

"Right. The story."

They fell silent for the remainder of the cab ride until they arrived at 5th and East 49th just outside Rockefeller Plaza. Before Finn could pay and exit the cab, Rachel grabbed his arm. "What?"

"I was just thinking, we're supposed to have dated for a month but we've never even kissed. Do you think we should just so we're prepared later?"

"That's probably a good idea."

Rachel's heart fluttered in her chest as she leaned closer to him and closed her eyes, preparing herself for their first kiss. When it didn't come however, she opened her eyes and stared at Finn. "You can kiss me. I'm giving you permission."

Finn swallowed hard. "I know, I just…" he took a deep breath, "okay." Without further warning, Finn held Rachel's face and pressed his lips to hers. Sparks flew as their lips touched, a tingling sensation spreading throughout his body as he relaxed into the embrace further. Her lips parted and he instinctually slipped his tongue into her mouth to feel hers pressing back against his.

"Are you two finished? I'd like to get paid," the gruff voice of the cabbie asked as he turned to face them through the glass separating the front and back.

Rachel ripped herself away from Finn and he lunged forward with the force, the action confusing him momentarily until he regained his bearings. He watched Rachel exit the car and threw some money at the cabbie, not bothering with his change as he followed his 'girlfriend's' lead.

As they walked along 5th Avenue, Rachel replayed the kiss in her mind. It had been electric and intense and it scared Rachel completely. They were only supposed to pretend to be dating; she couldn't develop real feelings for Finn, that could lead to potential disaster. Neither said anything as they walked through the entrance to get to the loft and garden where the wedding and reception were to be held.

"Oh God, there's Kurt and Burt…and my mom," Finn stressed in a hushed voice when he saw them near the elevator conversing.

Rachel slipped her hand into Finn's and stepped in front of him, smoothing out his tie and patting his chest for reassurance. "Just act natural. We'll be fine." She squeezed his hand and turned back to face the elevators, taking a deep breath herself, before tugging Finn along to meet his family.

"Look who has arrived!" Kurt crowed when he noticed them walking toward them. Carole and Burt turned in their direction and his mother's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas day. She pulled him in for a hug, kissing his cheek, and examined his appearance as she pulled away.

"Hi Mom, Kurt, Burt," he looked at them all in turn.

"You look dashing, Finn. I always thought you cleaned up nicely, just like your father." Carole beamed at him and Burt came up behind her to wrap his arm around her waist. Finally their attention turned to the petite brunette clutching his hand. "This must be your girlfriend! I wish I could say I knew all about you but sadly my son has been keeping you all to himself. I'm afraid we don't even know your name."

"Rachel, Rachel Berry and it's a delight to make your acquaintance."

"Carole Hummel," she put her hand out to shake Rachel's then pointed to her husband, "This is my husband Burt and this is Kurt, Finn's brother."

"It's lovely to meet you all. Finn has told me so much about you all. It's nice to finally put faces to names."

"Likewise," Kurt added. "In fact, before three days ago we weren't even aware that Finn had someone special in his life. How long have you and he been together exactly?"

Rachel looked up at Finn who had begun to sweat as he stood there, not speaking and still. "We've been dating for about a month now. It's all still fairly new. We've been discreet about our relationship until we were sure about each other." She wrapped her arm around his waist and glanced up at him as he gave her a shy smile and draped his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her arm gently. "When he asked if I would attend his friend's wedding with him, I knew he was pretty serious about us."

"He must be since Santana was the last girlfriend of his we ever met…and that was eight years ago."

"Yeah, Rachel's really great," Finn finally said. "We've missed the elevator like two times now. We should probably get upstairs. There'll be time to talk later." His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

Burt hit the UP button again. "Finn's got a point. If we're late Santana will pitch a fit." When the door opened, he allowed the women to enter first and once they piled inside, Rachel felt Finn's hand slip back into hers and his mouth next to her ear.

"Thank you," he mumbled quietly. Rachel squeezed his hand again in reply.

When they stepped off the elevator they were immediately greeted by ushers who led them to their seats out in the garden and as the rows on Santana's side were nearly full with her family members, Rachel and Finn ended up separated from his parents and Kurt. Though Rachel wanted to get to know Finn's family better and she was certain the feeling was mutual, it was going to have to wait until after the ceremony was over.

As they sat at the end nearest the aisle being serenaded by a string quartet, Rachel placed her hand on Finn's knee and rested her head against his shoulder. Following her lead, Finn lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulders, lightly caressing her bare shoulder. She shivered under his touch.

"Are you cold? I could give you my jacket," he offered, looking down at her content expression.

"I'm fine. It was a little chill." She pulled her wrap up to cover her bare shoulders more and though cashmere was soft, it felt almost rough compared with Rachel's skin. "It's actually quite lovely for April. They're lucky it didn't rain on them."

"They were prepared for it if it did though. That's what the inside is for."

Rachel sat up straight and turned in her chair to face him. "So you used to date Santana, correct?" Finn nodded. "And now you're just best friends? Why aren't you in the wedding party then?"

"I wouldn't call us _best_ friends. We're friends and we're still pretty close, but we've drifted since high school ended. We really only see each other for special occasions. And there wasn't room for me in the party. Santana's got a lot of cousins and there's no way Mariela was going to let anyone take her spot as Santana's Matron of Honor."

"Yeah, you probably wouldn't look as good in a dress either," Rachel ribbed. They shared a laugh and then the quartet stopped playing. The garden went silent until Whitney Huston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' started playing. Everyone stood and started cheering and laughing as Santana and Brittany's wedding party began dancing down the aisle to their places on each side until bringing up the rear were Santana and Brittany themselves.

As they passed by Finn on the way down, he put his hand out to high five Santana and earned a hug from Brittany. They ran down the aisle, hugging and kissing various friends and family members, and finally took their places as the music faded out and everyone sat back down as the ceremony began.

"They seem like an interesting couple," Rachel whispered quietly to Finn.

"Never a dull moment with Santana and Brittany. I don't know how I expected their wedding would be any different." He chuckled. "It's very them…control courtesy of Santana and chaos brought to you by Brittany.

They fell silent after that and watched as Santana and Brittany bound themselves in matrimony, declaring their undying love and devotion to one another.

While Rachel sat there watching all the happy couples around her and the one currently crying as they said their vows, she felt a pang of jealously creep through her. It was everything she had ever wanted…a loving partner, a beautiful wedding, her friends and family happy for her happiness. Instead she was still single, pretending to be in a relationship with her boss to please his family for a night, wishing that it could be real. She knew better than to think their pretend relationship could become more, but for the night, she didn't have to think better. For the immediate future, Rachel was attached and happy and she was going to be sure everyone knew it.

After the vows were exchanged, the couple was declared wives, congratulations were given, and pictures were taken, the atmosphere shifted from sappy to celebratory and the party had begun.

While the guests waited on the caterers to bring out their food and Rachel waited on Finn to bring her a pinot gris, Kurt, Carole and Burt got to knowing about Finn's new girlfriend.

"So, Rachel, we didn't get to speak much before the ceremony. Tell us about yourself? You must be an extraordinary catch if Finn has been keeping you to himself then debuted your relationship at a wedding," Kurt mused as he sipped on his own glass of wine.

Rachel's cheeks flushed and she cleared her throat. "Well, I'm from New Jersey originally but I currently reside in Manhattan with my cat, Snickerdoodle, I graduated from NYADA last year with a degree in musical theatre. I've been in a few Off-Off Broadway productions and am currently auditioning for anything and everything, and to supplement my income until I make my big break on the stage I used to work at a vegan bakery but they went under about two months ago which is how I ended up bartending at Hudson's."

"Oh! Is that how you met our Finny?" Carole asked jovially.

Rachel grinned at the cute nickname. "Yes. That's part of why we've been so hesitant to tell anyone about our relationship. There's always a stigma that comes with dating coworkers, especially the boss."

"Yeah, that's why Griggs got kicked out of office in Ohio. He had a thing for his interns, even the ones that said no." Burt rolled his eyes. "Hey, finally, did you go all the way to Canada to get me this?" he asked as Finn came back to the table bearing drinks. He handed over a Labatt to Burt and the wine glass to Rachel.

"Thank you, honey," Rachel played as he sat down next to her. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and his cheeks pinked as his mom looked at him adoringly.

"So what are we talking about?"

"Rachel. We're learning everything you haven't told us," Kurt supplied, a touch of bitterness in his tone.

Finn put his arm on the back of Rachel's chair. "I doubt that." He winked at Kurt who made a face in disgust and earned a smack to the chest and a glare from Rachel.

Kurt turned his attention back to Rachel and rested his elbow on the table, placing his chin in his hand. "You have no idea how jealous I am of you. NYADA was my dream school in high school. I auditioned with 'Not the Boy Next Door', complete with gold lamé pants, and received great feedback but still didn't make it. So I went to my next love, fashion. I just did the costumes for the revival of _Evita_."

Rachel's jaw went slack. "Are you…are you saying you're a costume designer and you've worked on Broadway?" she asked incredulously.

Kurt nodded and shrugged like it wasn't a huge deal. "I've done television too. In a few weeks I'll be flying out to Los Angeles to start working on my first film."

"You're jealous of me? If anyone here is jealous it's me. That sounds incredible. Have you ever met Barbra or Patti or Liza? I met Patti at Sardi's once. It was incredible and she's simply amazing."

"I haven't had the pleasure of meeting any of the legends yet, but I did meet quite a few greats when I went to the Tony's last year."

Rachel's mouth dropped open in shock and she rounded on Finn. "Why have you never told me that your brother has connections on Broadway and has been to the Tony's? We spent the past few days talking only about your family and it was never mentioned once." Her voice was shrill and held a note of hysteria.

"I don't know. It just didn't seem important." He shrank back into his chair as Rachel's eyes narrowed at him but before she could chastise him further for keeping important information from her, the MC for the evening introduced himself saving him from her wrath for the moment.

By the time intros of the wedding party, toasts, and dinner were done, the topic had been dropped and the faux couple were really beginning to enjoy the other's company as they busted a move on the dance floor.

Rachel had been introduced to dozens of people and earned the seal of approval from the Hummels as they got to know her over dinner as well as Santana and Brittany when she complimented Brittany's duckie slippers and told Santana she brought cash as a gift. Well, technically Finn had brought the cash, but it was cash no matter who had brought it, so Santana approved. And through all the talking and eating and greeting, Rachel had imbibed a fair share of booze and had begun feeling rather carefree and ready to really party.

At the beginning of his night, Finn had been adamant that he would not be dancing, but a few hard drinks later and he was easily swayed into swaying on the floor by Rachel getting handsy and biting his earlobe after whispering her request in his ear. He followed behind her willingly as she dragged him to the floor to dance to some Katy Perry.

"I have got to get a picture of this!" Santana roared in laughter as she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Finn dancing. "Just watch your toes, Berry, he's not exactly light on his feet."

"He seems fine to me," Rachel assessed, pressing her ass into his hips and sliding down to grip his thighs. He reciprocated by placing his hands on her thighs and running them up to her taught stomach.

"God, you must be drunk." Brittany twirled Santana away from the couple practically dry humping on the dance floor.

Rachel had spent her entire life in multiple classes learning various styles of dance from tap, jazz, ballet, and ballroom to the more eclectic such as interpretive and rain dance, but this form was practically a mating call. She felt sexy and promiscuous grinding against Finn, feeling his arousal pressing into her body, knowing she was responsible for it. If she weren't drunk she would certainly feel embarrassed and rein it in, but in that moment that was the very last thing she wanted to do. In fact, she wanted to push things further, she wanted to get closer, she wanted to be the pretty girl Finn went home with. If she were sober, Rachel would berate herself for her salacious behavior, but drunk Rachel wanted to behave badly and she wanted to behave that way with Finn.

Abruptly, Rachel was being spun around to face Finn and pulled against his body. He held her hips tightly and leaned down to kiss her. The same feelings of want and lust as before erupted inside Rachel only amplified by the alcohol coursing through her. She needed more, she needed to touch him, to feel him on her and in her.

"Can we go t'your place?" she slurred when their kiss broke, drunk on wine and high on Finn's kiss.

"Yeah." He started backing her toward the tables to grab their things when the MC boomed over the sound system stating that it was time for the bouquet toss. Unlike a conventional bouquet and garter toss however, they would be throwing one bouquet for Brittany's guests and one for Santana's guests, the winners of each receiving a special mystery prize rather than having to suffer through the awkwardness of watching two people who didn't know each other have to get up close and personal.

When he was done talking and Brittany's guests all lined up to catch their bouquet, Finn attempted to move Rachel back to their table but she planted her feet on the ground, a little wobbly in her heels. "Finn, no, wait. I want the bouquet."

"But we were gonna…" he trailed off leaving room for the imagination.

Rachel pouted at him and when he relented, she dragged him to the edge of the floor to wait for Santana's turn. Her hazy mind was now focused on the prize while Finn's remained on Rachel's body. He kissed her neck as they waited and ran his hands over her stomach and down to her thighs. When Brittany's turn was over and the floor cleared to refill with Santana's guests, Rachel planted herself in the forefront of the crowd, Finn staggering along behind her. His head stuck out above the rest of the group's and when Santana counted to three and threw the bouquet behind her, all the women in front of him jumped to catch the high toss while Finn merely stuck his hand out and wrapped his fingers around the stem of the fake flowers.

When everyone realized it had been caught the people cleared away and Rachel turned around to pout over her loss until she saw Finn holding the flowers to his chest. Her bright red face lit up and she jumped up and down, hugging Finn and taking the flowers when he offered them to her. Santana and Brittany joined them and handed over their prize.

"Congrats, Frankenteen. Looks like that height advantage finally came in handy. Enjoy your romantic date with your girlfriend." She put out an envelope for him to take. "It's a gift certificate."

"Yeah, great, is this thing over now?" Finn was getting antsy and Rachel playing with his hair and hanging off his body wasn't helping any.

Santana chuckled. "Yeah, you can go bone now. It was nice meeting you, Rachel. Thanks for coming." She waved goodbye and before Rachel could even respond, Finn tugged her to the table. They picked up their things and stumbled their way to the elevator, touching each other and kissing. When they arrived they found Kurt waiting at the elevator as well.

"Can you please wait until you're in your apartment? This is a shared space and I would prefer not to see more boobs than necessary." Neither responded to his request as they continued making out. "I guess not." The elevator dinged with its arrival and they flew through the door to the back of the enclosed space as Kurt walked in, contempt on his face. "I have got to get a boyfriend," he muttered to himself as he turned to face the door as opposed to the gross display behind him.

Twenty minutes later after a heated cab ride and yet another lusty elevator ride, they arrived at Finn's apartment. From there, everything exploded.

Rachel shoved Finn's jacket off his body and too uncoordinated to work the individual buttons open, she ripped it apart, sending the black discs sailing in all directions. Finn smiled at her ferocity and growled as he lifted her up and carried her haphazardly into his bedroom. They slammed into the wall with the door from the force and rolled until they hit the dresser, knocking cologne bottles and other items over in their haste to get to the other's skin.

Their kisses were hot and short as they tried to latch on to any bit of flesh they could reach while Finn's hands worked on the zipper in the back of Rachel's skin tight dress and Rachel pulled the belt from Finn's pants. Finn stumbled his way to his bed finally and fell on top of Rachel as they landed. She didn't seem to mind however as she just undid his pants and pushed them down.

Finn pulled himself upright and kicked off his shoes and allowed his pants to pool around his ankles, tugging his tie loose and removing his ruined dress shirt. Rachel shimmied out of her dress, revealing nothing beneath the fabric but a tiny white lace thong. Finn's erection grew in his boxers and Rachel tugged him back down to her body by his tie, mashing her lips to his and running her hands down his back to bunch his t-shirt up to pull it off.

She whined as his hand found her breast and tugged on her nipple. "Do you have a condom?" she remembered, even in her drunken state.

"Yeah." Finn pulled away to reach for his bedside drawer, pulling out a box of condoms. He shook it but it made no noise. "Uh oh." He opened the end and turned it down but nothing fell out. "Do you have one?" Rachel shook her head no. "Fuck."

Even though she was drunk she knew better than to have sex without a condom. But she was also extremely hot and bothered and was in no mood to stop or search for condoms. Drunk Rachel made a decision sober Rachel would abhor.

"You could just pull out…"

Finn's ears perked up and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

And like that they were back in the game.

Finn resumed his kisses while his hand slipped between her legs and fondled her through her thin panties. Her hips bucked against his and he groaned into her mouth. His hand clamped around the material covering her sex and tugged it down, sitting up to pull them off completely. They got caught around the spike of her heel and Rachel giggled as he lifted her leg into the air to yank it off and fling the thong behind him in a rush before lowering it and pushing his own boxers off.

Rachel spread her knees and put her hands above her head as Finn rested on top of her, his tie tickling her stomach, and parting her swollen folds with the head of his hard cock. He stretched her and filled her as he sank deeper and deeper, kissing his way up to her lips from her breasts. Once he was buried, he pulled back out and slammed back in, rocking the bed as he began to move faster inside her, their bodies pressing together as their hips met repeatedly and Rachel wrapped her legs around Finn's torso, his fingers slipping between hers as his hips rocked into hers. Her knees tightened on his sides while the spikes of her heels dug into his ass. It was painful yet somehow pleasurable.

"Oh God," Rachel cried into Finn's ear as he sucked on her neck and grazed her spot. She gripped his hands harder and her body clenched as she teetered on the edge. He felt perfect inside her, teasing her nerves and making her see stars behind her eyelids. The friction was penetrating to her core and each movement sent her body into a tizzy as she fought to keep her orgasm at bay until the perfect moment.

Unfortunately, her intoxicated mind and body weren't cooperating. She was going to come any second until she finally did. Rachel stiffened under Finn as her back arched, pressing her chest into his and making the heels of her shoes dig even deeper into his ass. Her walls pulsed around his cock and she stopped breathing, her vision going black, until her body forced a gasp from her mouth. She was on fire and her heart pounded in her chest and ears as she took slow deep breaths, shaking every few seconds from the aftershocks. It had been powerful, despite the alcohol in her system, and now she was exhausted.

Finn on the other hand seemed to be taking forever to get off until suddenly he wasn't. He moved faster and faster and when he could feel himself beginning to let go, every thought flew out of his head. All he could feel was Rachel coming underneath him, her pussy squeezing him tightly, forcing him to join her in orgasm. He spilled into her, his mind imploding while his body did the opposite until all he could think about was sleep.

Tired and dazed, Finn rolled off of Rachel and instantly passed out next to her while Rachel turned into his side, cozying up, already asleep.

A few hours later as the sun peeked through the venetian blinds Rachel woke with a splitting headache, a dry mouth, and feeling absolutely wrecked. Cracking her eyes open, she was startled to see a wall that wasn't hers. Framed _Star Wars_ posters hung in a row in order on the wall she faced instead of the windows looking out to the deli across the street from her apartment. Lifting her head she saw dark wood furniture and russet tones and straight lines that screamed a man was living there. Her suspicion was confirmed when she felt the bed move behind her. That was when she remembered she had come home with Finn and had sex with him.

Annoyed and disappointed in herself, Rachel smacked her forehead, instantly regretting the action. It had been loud and painful. "Stupid," she said under her breath, regretting getting drunk enough to allow her hormones to control her. Carefully, Rachel threw the covers off and swung her feet out to the floor, hissing when she felt how cool the hardwood was. Adjusting, Rachel stood up and wobbled as her head spun then tiptoed around to the other side of the bed praying that Finn wouldn't wake up to see her completely naked.

Rachel found her dress and stepped into it zipping it up then went about searching for her panties, wrap, purse and shoes. When all she found were her panties in the bedroom, Rachel snuck out through the door to find her other items. Unfortunately, all she found in Finn's spacious and impeccably decorated living room was her purse and wrap on the floor near the door. Her shoes were nowhere to be found and there was no way Rachel was going barefoot on the streets of Manhattan. They had to be in Finn's room.

Channeling her inner Catwoman, Rachel slipped back into Finn's room and did another sweep coming up empty until a flash of the night prior crossed her mind. Her underwear had been hooked on her heel. She had been wearing her heels while they had sex. Rachel closed her eyes and cursed inwardly as she realized they had to be stuffed somewhere in Finn's bed.

Rachel walked back to the side of the bed she had slept on and pushed the sheet further down until she found the spike of one of her heels. Unfortunately, the other one was still MIA. She tore that half of the bed apart searching for it only to come up empty handed which meant it had to be on Finn's side.

Grumbling lowly, Rachel moved to Finn's side and tried to search just the end of the bed but Finn's position made that impossible. He was twisted in the comforter and there was no way Rachel could move him without waking him. Deciding to just go for it, Rachel began lightly tugging the comforter away from his body. He shifted again and Rachel froze as he switched arms his head was lying on. When he was still again, Rachel went back in. She had gotten the comforter down enough to uncover half of his very white, very round behind. His butt was very cute and if the situation she currently found herself in weren't entirely compromising, she probably would have taken more time to admire it. But that was the moment Finn decided to join the conscious.

"Jesus Christ," he cried, rolling onto his side and making Rachel lose her hand placement. She fell face forward onto the bed, her head landing right above his groin. Thankfully the blanket covered his naughty bits. Righting herself, Rachel prepared to explain. "Rachel? What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for my shoe."

"Why would your shoe be in my bed?"

Rachel's eyebrow popped up and she jutted her hip out, crossing her arms over her shoulder. "Are you serious right now? I know we were drunk but there's no way you were black out drunk."

His eyes narrowed as he tried to remember until it finally hit him. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Did we sleep together?" He lifted the comforter and found nothing on his person. Before he dropped it however, he pulled an off-white peep-toe sling-black pump out from between his knees and held it out for Rachel to take.

She swiped it angrily from his finger and crammed it onto her foot before grabbing the other one and doing the same. "You are unbelievable. I knew last night that this would be a mistake but I did it anyway, so I guess this is really my fault." Finn wasn't sure if she was talking to him or to herself but either way, he was taking it personally.

"If you thought it was a mistake why did you do it then?"

Rachel shook her head and set her jaw, looking away from him. "I'm leaving. Just forget this ever happened and please don't tell anyone, especially Puckerman. I will never hear the end of it." She stomped out of his room, grabbing her wrap and purse, leaving the apartment and hailing a cab when she made it outside.

Once Rachel was home, she slammed the door shut and locked it, hoping it would help keep her problems from catching up with her. Sadly, no such luck. As her roommate and cousin Blaine walked into the living room with a bowl of cereal he made a crack about her making the Walk of Shame and she lost it.

Getting emotional, Rachel ran into her bedroom and slammed that door shut as well. Sobs wracked her body when she fell onto her bed and thought about the night prior. He didn't even remember sleeping with her. What did that say about her? Was she really that bad in bed? Was the only reason Finn had slept with her because of the beer goggles? Yes, sleeping with Finn had been a terrible idea. Her theory had been right, getting in bed with coworkers, especially the boss, was never a good idea.

Work was going to be hell on Monday.


	3. The Consequences

Again, I just wanted to thank everyone for reading and reviewing, etc. You're all amazing.

* * *

When Finn made it into work that Monday night, all he could think about was apologizing to Rachel for what happened. After she left the day prior, he had reflected on how poorly their interaction had gone. The more he thought about it the more he remembered about their tryst and realized how much he had enjoyed it. At least the parts he could remember. Much of it was a blur but he definitely remembered Rachel naked and panting in his ear. They had had a good night and he fucked it up when he couldn't remember what had happened and upset Rachel. At least he assumed the reason she had been pissed was because of his faulty memory. He wondered if that was the only reason Rachel regretted having sex with him because he definitely didn't regret sleeping with her. She really had turned out to be a great girlfriend and when he realized this, he knew he didn't want it to be pretend anymore. Everyone had loved her and he was stupid not to feel the same. He just had to fix his mistake.

When he spotted Rachel laughing with one of the patrons of the bar, his heart constricted in his chest and he took a deep breath. Though he'd had a fair share of one-night stands, he wasn't well versed in what happened past a fun night of sex. None of his one-night stands had ever gone beyond that and he wasn't sure what the etiquette was for making it last for more than one night, especially after a bad ending.

As he walked past the bar, he caught Rachel's eye and her smile fell immediately before she whipped her head around and walked in the opposite direction to ask if the people sitting on the end needed anything. He entered the bar and waited for Rachel's inevitable turn around to speak to her. She was persistent in keeping her distance as she struck up a conversation with a couple about the jazz concert they were getting ready to attend but finally her attention was forced in the opposite direction.

"Oh, Rachel, my sweet!" the nasally voice of Jacob Ben Israel, everyone's least favorite customer, cried from the end Finn was perched on. He waved a few bills over the bar at her as he leaned over to better see her. "Rachel! Over here!"

Finn snorted when he saw Rachel's head drop. Every female employee in the place reacted the same way when dealing with Jacob…like he bore the plague. She lifted her head back up and stood straighter before turning around and walking to the other end, ignoring Finn as she passed him.

"Yes, Jacob?" Rachel replied with false sweetness. She hated being nice to Jacob but as he was the best tipper she had ever come across, Rachel suffered through.

"I'd like a drink please."

"And what libation would you like to imbibe this evening?"

Jacob leaned closer to her on the bar and Rachel had to do her best not to gag from the massive amounts of body spray assaulting her nostrils. "Sex…on the Beach, please." He waggled his eyebrows at her before sitting back in his seat. "I would love it if you could join me for one."

Rachel attempted a smile but was sure it came out as more of a grimace. "I'm sorry, Jacob, but I'm busy…_forever_," she muttered through gritted teeth under her breath as she turned around to grab the necessary ingredients only to be blocked by Finn leaning along the back counter. Rachel crossed her arms haughtily. "Could you please vacate this space? You're in my way."

Finn sidestepped but hardly moved out of Rachel's way. "I need to talk to you when you're done with Jewfro."

"I'd rather share a Sex on the Beach with Jewfro than have another conversation with you." She grabbed a glass and started pouring out juice.

"Well that's too bad because as your boss, I'm requesting a meeting with my employee." He knew it was wrong to use the job against her, but if she wouldn't talk to him willingly, he needed another way to make her listen.

Rachel laughed humorlessly. "Right. You just happen to need to talk to me about work after I deny a talk about what happened yesterday."

He grabbed her elbow and inched closer to her. "Could you just hear me out? I want to apologize." Rachel poured in the schnapps and vodka, garnishing the glass with an orange slice, and mixed the concoction before turning to hand it to Jacob.

"Here you are, Jacob."

"Thank you my pet. It looks," his eyes raked over her body making her skin crawl, "_delicious_." He handed her a twenty. "Keep the change, babe."

Rachel cashed the twenty and put the hefty tip in her apron pocket before walking out of the bar.

"Where are you going?" Finn asked as he followed her.

"You wanted to talk. I'm not talking in there." She called to Puck and asked if he could watch the bar until she returned then weaved her way through the kitchen and into the back office. Finn followed closely behind and closed the door once inside. Before he could even speak, Rachel cut him off. "Look, what happened…"

"I wanted to apologize for how I reacted. I do remember what happened I just didn't when I woke up. It took me off guard since I was still half asleep. I'm sorry if I offended you. That was never my intention and I hope this doesn't mess with our friendship. In fact-"

"Don't worry it won't," Rachel cut in, a little bitter and hurt. "It's not like we were even friends before last week so there's nothing to ruin. Maybe we should just forget this all ever happened and move on. Like I told you, I'm not looking for a relationship and you got what you wanted and more from me so, favor completed." She shrugged and started for the door. "I need to get back to work. Jacob is probably ready for his next drink now."

"Rachel, wait, I'm not finished."

"Well I am!" she yelled at him, tears in her eyes. "Saturday night was a mistake. We were both drunk and it didn't mean anything. It was stupid and I don't want to talk about it anymore. I just want to go back to normal." She wiped a stray tear from her eye then wrenched the door open leaving a dumbfounded Finn in her wake.

That had gone less than favorable. Finn had gone in with the intention of making things better and had ended up making them worse than ever. Clearly Rachel deeply regretted what happened between them and wanted nothing to do with him. He was stupid to think she had only been upset because of his earlier stupidity. Even when he apologized for it she was still angry. She didn't even let him finish and tell her that he wanted another shot.

He walked out of the kitchen and scanned the place for Rachel. She was back tending the bar with a smile on her face as if nothing had just upset her. He had to give her credit, Rachel was a great actress.

Over the next few weeks their relationship had been tense and awkward until whatever semblance of a relationship they had dissolved completely. He had tried to explain himself a few more times but either couldn't seem to articulate or was simply shut down entirely before he could even start. He wanted to like Rachel, but she was making it impossible and when it became evident she was never going to show him the time of day again, he gave up. They only spoke when necessary for work and Finn tried not to think about Rachel and how soft her skin was or how amazing she looked in that blue dress or her heels pressing into his ass, but it proved rather difficult. He didn't even know why she had struck such a chord with him but she had and it wouldn't stop reverberating in his brain at the most inopportune moments. Like at Friday dinner about six weeks later.

He had been avoiding his mother, claiming work was keeping him too busy to attend dinners, in an effort to avoid the Rachel topic. She had texted him a few times inviting them both over but he was too ashamed to admit what happened. He hadn't exactly thought the whole fake girlfriend plan through. But when Kurt returned from L.A. for the weekend, he couldn't avoid them any longer. His mother would have his ass if he didn't show up for Kurt's triumphant return to the city.

Finn absentmindedly pushed his corn around on his plate as his brother regaled the family with his story of fitting Anne Hathaway for her latest flick. He was only in town for two days before he had to return and had thankfully been the focus of his parents' attention instead of him. That was until Kurt had to mention Rachel.

"I'm surprised Rachel isn't here. I told her that she was invited even if you refused to extend an invitation. She was very excited to hear about my stint in L.A."

Finn's brow scrunched. "Have you been talking to Rachel since the wedding?"

"Yeah. We exchanged numbers and we've talked quite a bit actually. She likes to talk about herself mostly, but she's a sweet girl and we have a lot in common."

"I can't believe this." Finn threw his fork down onto his plate with a clatter and sank down in his chair. "She'll talk to you but not to me. I introduced you!"

"Trouble in paradise?" Burt asked with a slight chuckle.

Not wanting to explain all the messy details, Finn carefully chose his words. "We got into a fight and Rachel broke up with me."

Kurt and Carole gasped. "What did you do?" Kurt accused.

"Why do you automatically assume I did anything?"

"Because she's the one that broke up with you and she seemed head over at the wedding. What did you do?"

Finn sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It's complicated and I don't really feel like getting into it right now." This was the reason he hated telling his family about his love life.

His mother put her hand over his. "I'm sure whatever it is you did you two can work through it. Just talk to her, Finn."

"I've tried! That's all I've been doing for weeks but she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I messed up. I had a great girl right in front of me and I blew it."

"Well, what exactly did you do to piss her off?" Burt inquired.

That was kinda the thing. Finn didn't exactly know what had ticked her off so much she didn't want to talk to him. He thought it had been because he forgot they slept together but he had explained that and she was still reluctant. He didn't know what he had done. These thoughts had plagued him for weeks and he still couldn't figure it out. She just seemed irrationally peeved at him.

"Like I said, it's complicated." Just then he felt his pants vibrate with a phone call. "Excuse me." He stood up and pulled his phone out as he walked through the door into the kitchen. His pulse quickened as he read the name of the caller. Rachel Berry.

Freaking out internally, Finn answered the phone and tried to sound calm and composed outwardly. "Hello?"

"_H-hi, Finn._" She seemed hesitant and unsure of herself which was highly unusual, but Finn was just so happy Rachel was calling him that he didn't dwell on it.

"Hey Rachel, what's up?" His mouth went dry and he swallowed before licking his lips.

"_Um, I…I really need to talk to you and I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow? It's really important._"

Finn froze and couldn't seem to form words. Rachel wanted to see him and talk to him. He was getting another chance! Maybe this time he wouldn't fuck it up and maybe he could finally figure out where he had gone wrong the first time.

"_Finn?_" Rachel's voice lilted through the speaker.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, still here. Sorry, I was…looking at my calendar. Uh, yeah, I'm wide open tomorrow."

"_Great. The sooner we talk the better. I was thinking maybe we could do lunch?_"

"Um, you know, I'm actually busy around lunch time. Could we maybe do dinner instead?" Dinner would be much more romantic than lunch, especially with that gift certificate for dinner for two and the Broadway gift card he just remembered he won at Santana's wedding. He could prepare an extra special night to woo Rachel and possibly make her his real girlfriend. It would be perfect.

"_I guess. Did you want to meet somewhere?_"

"I'll pick you up. Like six?"

"_Sure, fine. I'll see you tomorrow then._"

"See you tomorrow. Thanks for calling."

"_Bye, Finn._" Rachel hung up then and Finn fist pumped, silently celebrating his second chance.

Once he calmed down, Finn walked back into the dining room and everyone could instantly sense the improvement in Finn's mood.

"Who was that?" his mother asked as he sat back down.

"Rachel. She needed to talk to me about something and now we have a date set for tomorrow." His smile stretched from ear to ear and he began to finish off his dinner with vigor.

"See? I told you if you just talked about it you could work it out."

"Yeah, I guess you were right. I don't know why she changed her mind but I'll find out tomorrow I suppose." Finn took a gulp of his Pepsi and wiped his mouth. "I'm really sorry to eat and run but I gotta do some stuff for tomorrow now."

"Oh it's fine sweetie, as long as you bring Rachel with you next week." She looked at him knowingly.

"I make no promises."

Kurt scoffed. "I'm only here for two days and you're ditching me for a girl? I'm your brother and you haven't seen me in weeks."

"Your point?" Finn asked as he stood up. "I'll see you guys later." He kissed his mom on the cheek and waved goodbye to Burt and Kurt.

"Nice to see where your loyalties lie," Kurt yelled at Finn's retreating form before turning to Carole. "He must really like this girl to ditch fried chicken. He only had one helping."

"I'm just happy something other than food is making him run." They all laughed and continued on without Finn.

The next day, Rachel sat in her living room, nervously awaiting Finn's arrival. He said he would text her when he got there and it was already nearing ten minutes past six. She was getting worried that something had happened to him, or worse, that he had changed his mind. The thought made her stomach roll…or perhaps it was Blaine's moo shu pork.

"Shouldn't you be on your date?" He plopped down next to Rachel and changed the channel.

"I told you, it's not a date. We're just going to dinner."

"Dinner with a guy you've done the nasty with sounds an awful lot like a date to me." He popped a chopstick full of the offending food into his mouth.

"Well, it's not. Must you eat that next to me?"

He stopped mid chew to look at her before picking it up again and swallowing. "What is your problem lately? Everything I've eaten the past week has bothered you."

"Everything you eat always bothers me as it's usually a meat product and I am a vegetarian."

"Well, you've been especially vocal about it this week. Are you PMSing?"

Rachel pursed her lips and glared at him just as a knock on the door called her attention. "That must be Finn." She got up to answer the door and smoothed down her dress and fixed her hair before answering.

"If it's not a date why do you care so much about how you look?" Blaine called as he twisted to look back at her over the couch. She ignored him and opened the door.

"Hi," Finn greeted, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He was wearing another suit but this time with a white shirt and a grey tie. Finn had even shaved his scruff for her. "I brought you these. I thought you might like them."

"Oh. Thank you." She took the flowers and as their scent hit her nose, her stomach rolled again. Rachel put the flowers on the table next to the door and took deep breaths of unscented air. "What's with the suit?"

"I just…wanted to look nice. You look really beautiful."

"Thanks. Though I do feel kind of under dressed now." She looked down at her salmon, black, and gold sun dress.

"I think you look great."

"Where are we going to eat?"

"It's kind of a surprise."

Rachel sighed. "Is it fancy? You're so dressed up."

"It's kinda fancy, yeah. If you want to change you can but really, you look great and you don't have to."

"I'm just going to change my dress. I wish you would have told me sooner so I could have been more prepared." Rachel allowed Finn to enter the apartment to wait for her to change.

"Sorry. I was just trying to surprise you."

"I'll be right back."

Rachel headed down the hallway to her bedroom to change and Finn was left in the living room. He watched her go, noticing the sway of her hips, and was reminded of the night they spent together. Then as a figure to his left moved he noticed the other person in the room for the first time.

"Don't mind me. Just getting more moo shu pork."

Finn was surprised to see another man in the apartment. "Oh, um, okay."

"Rachel hasn't told you about me, has she?" Instead of moving to the kitchen he walked around the couch and put his hand out for Finn to shake. "I'm Blaine. Rachel's cousin and her roommate."

Finn visibly relaxed. "Oh. Nice to meet you. She did mention you actually. I just wasn't expecting to meet you tonight. Rachel said that you go to karaoke with friends on Saturdays."

"Wow, she told you that?"

"Yeah. She's told me a lot actually, but I only remember like a third of it."

"She talks really fast."

"And a lot."

They both turned when they could hear Rachel coming back down the hallway. She came back wearing a simple scoop neck black dress ending just above the knee with long sheer sleeves, and a thin red belt around her waist and red flats on her feet. She even had a matching red purse.

"I see you two have met."

"Just wanted to meet the man taking you on a date tonight."

Rachel groaned. "It's not a date!" Her eyes flickered to Finn and he looked a little saddened by her declaration. She smiled uncomfortably up at Finn. "We should go." She picked up the bouquet of flowers and as the sickeningly sweet smell assaulted her, she fought to keep control over her stomach.

Finn noticed and put his hand on her shoulder. "Rachel, are you okay?"

She forced a smile. "Fine." A little more forcefully than necessary, Rachel handed the flowers to Blaine. "Could you put these in water please?"

"Sure. Are you sure you're alright?"

Rachel's lips tightened and she clutched her stomach as her brow creased and her eyes slammed shut. The bile was rising and there was no stopping it. She ran back down the hall and into the bathroom, spewing the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

"What the hell?" Blaine ran after her and Finn followed closely behind to find Rachel bent over the toilet, pushing herself up. She grabbed a tissue and wiped her mouth before throwing it in the bowl and flushing the sick away.

"Can you both please give me a moment?"

Finn stepped closer. "Rachel, maybe we should resched-"

"No! I'm fine. I just need to brush my teeth then we can go. We have to go." She shooed them out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

"Has she been sick lately?"

Blaine shook his head. "Not that I've seen. She's been a little irritable but I think it's her time of the month."

They walked back down the hall and Blaine went to find a vase for the flowers and Finn waited by the door. Minutes later, Rachel exited the bathroom as if she hadn't just puked her guts out, fresh faced and giving him a small smile.

"Let's go."

Finn tried to protest but Rachel was already out the door.

He tried to talk to her as they got in the cab and headed toward the restaurant but Rachel wasn't in the mood for chitchat. She stared out the window at the city passing by and her thoughts consumed her.

The feeling of guilt as she bought the box, like everyone was watching her and judging her, the agonizing three minutes of uncertainty, the absolute terror that filled her when the little window showed a little pink plus sign. She found out a week ago but couldn't bring herself to tell anyone. She hardly believed it herself yet. But with her first appointment with her doctor coming up on Tuesday, she knew she had to tell Finn. There was no way Rachel could go by herself. She couldn't do this alone.

When they finally arrived at the restaurant Rachel was surprised to find themselves at one of the nicest steakhouses in the city. "You know I'm a vegetarian right?"

"I looked at their menu online and they have a lot of vegetarian options too. I thought ahead."

He gave the hostess his name and she led them back to their table. Once seated, Finn began to peruse his menu while Rachel folded her hands on the table and stared at the flame flickering in the lamp.

"Are you sure you're alright? You don't seem like yourself tonight and you did get sick. We really could have rescheduled."

Before she could answer their waiter arrived with water and drink requests. "Pinot gris?" Finn asked her with a smirk on his face.

"The water is fine, thank you," Rachel replied to the waiter. She couldn't very well drink now. Drinking had gotten her into enough trouble already.

When they were left alone again, Finn continued the conversation. "I'm really glad that you called. There's a lot I've wanted to talk to you about and I'm glad you're giving me the chance." Rachel didn't say anything as she stared at him. "I just wanted to apologize for whatever I did to make you upset with me. I never wanted to hurt you and I really did enjoy our night together, what I can remember of it…" When she didn't say anything again, Finn got nervous. "Actually, our fake relationship got me thinking…we were really great together when we were just pretending…we-"

Before she could let him finish that sentence Rachel had to come clean. With no pretext, Rachel blurted out the issue in the forefront of her mind.

"I'm pregnant."


	4. The Reaction

All of you are amazing! Every review, favorite, and follow has made me smile and want to write faster to get the next chapter out. Just don't kill me for this one. This fic is filed under drama for a reason.

* * *

The light in Finn's eyes dimmed and the words trying to escape his mouth faltered allowing only choked sounds to escape.

"I'm sorry to spring it on you this way but I couldn't keep it inside anymore," Rachel confessed. With it out in the open now it felt like a giant weight had been lifted from her and she didn't feel so scared anymore.

Finn's forehead crinkled and his eyebrows dipped together as he tried to understand what was going on. "Who is he?"

Rachel's own eyebrow pulled up as she stared at him. "I'm not sure what you mean…"

"The father? Why would you ask me out if-"

"I didn't ask you out. I asked you to a civil lunch to tell you that I'm pregnant and you're the father. I figured that a public setting might be better so we'd both be a little calmer about the situation. _You_ decided on dinner."

Finn's head was swimming and his heart hammered in his ears as it finally dawned on him. "I'm the father?"

"Yeah," Rachel replied in a tone that stated it should have been obvious.

"But we used a condom! I found the box on the floor." He knew that much.

Rachel shook her head. "The box was empty." She lowered her voice to a near whisper. "I told you that you could pull out but obviously you couldn't even do that!"

"You're blaming me for this?"

"There's no one else who could have gotten me pregnant."

Now Finn was getting angry. "I seem to recall you being there too and if what you're saying is true, you're the one who gave me permission not to use one."

"I also told you to pull out."

"Were you on birth control?"

Rachel sat up straighter and looked quite uncomfortable at the question being asked. "I was not at the time of conception."

Finn sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Why would you go without a condom if you weren't on the pill?" he growled.

"Because…" she was hard pressed to find a good excuse for their actions. There really wasn't one. "I was expecting you to follow through with pulling out."

"You can still get pregnant with pulling out. How do you think Beth got here? If _I_ know that I would expect a girl as smart as you to know that."

"Well I didn't see you running off to find us protection!" Rachel yelled at him. Their voices were rising and people were starting to notice.

"Because you said I didn't have to!"

"So it's my fault? What about you? You think it's a good idea to go around having sex without a condom? What about STDs? How do you know that I'm even clean?"

Finn scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You don't strike me as the type to do this often."

"I did it with you. What makes you think I didn't do it with someone else? You don't know anything about me."

"I guess you're right," he growled.

Rachel sighed in exasperation with their conversation. "Look, we can argue about whose fault it is forever but that won't do any good. The point is I'm pregnant now, you're the father, and I'm keeping it. All we can do now is figure out how to proceed from here." Rachel had known the moment the test came back positive there was no way she could give up her child.

Finn's face relaxed and he tugged on his hair, messing it up. Though she was angry at him, Rachel couldn't help but find it adorable.

"You're keeping it?"

"That is what I just said."

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, being a parent is hard work," he said, panic coloring his tone.

"I am well aware of the difficulties of being a parent, but this is my baby, _our_ baby, and I can't just walk away from it. I can't…get rid of it, and I can't let someone else have it."

Finn swallowed and found the action difficult as his throat seemed to be closing. It felt like the room was growing smaller, boxing him in – caging him, and the lock and key was sitting right across from him, six weeks old and already sealing his fate. Fear gripped him tightly.

He wanted to be with Rachel but he wasn't ready to be a father. He was hardly capable of handling a child when he still felt like one himself. He didn't do anything for himself, a maid came to his house twice a week to clean and do his laundry, he either ate out or at his restaurant if he wanted food otherwise it was grilled cheese or cereal, his brother picked out his clothes with the exceptional plaid shirts he loved, he stayed out until the sun came up and didn't wake up until it was on its way down. His apartment was a confirmed bachelor pad and there wasn't room for a baby there. There was no way he could be a parent. He couldn't do this. He hated having to turn Rachel away, but he just wasn't ready for the responsibility. Finn was going to be a shitty dad, he knew it, and he couldn't have a kid.

"I-I'm sorry, Rachel," he stood from the table just as the waiter was returning to take their order. "I can't…I have to go." Disappointment marred Rachel's beautiful face and he instantly felt guilty.

"You're just leaving?" She could feel the tears beginning to prickle at the back of her eyes.

"I'm not ready for this, Rachel."

Rachel looked like she wanted to protest, her bottom lip quivering as her mouth opened and shut until she steeled herself and shot up from her seat, grabbing her purse. "You know what…forget it. This was obviously a mistake. You're off the hook, you don't have to worry about taking responsibility for this at all, you can pretend that this never happened. Enjoy your life. And you can find yourself a new bartender because I quit."

She glared at him, trying to muster every bit of anger and resentment she had for him to keep herself together until she was alone and could break down, and started for the door.

"Rachel…" Finn called after her, grabbing her arm.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, all heads in the restaurant turning to look at the growing scene right as she slapped him across the face. She turned around and stormed out, Finn standing there stunned, holding his red cheek.

What had he done?

As she made her escape from the restaurant, Rachel forced herself to feel numb. She couldn't cry yet. When she made it home, she found Blaine lying on the couch still watching television. He sat up and looked at her over the back of the couch in confusion.

"You're home really early?" When he saw her bottom lip quivering and her eyes glistening with pooling tears, he grew even more concerned. "Hey, what's going on?" He got off the couch and when he got close enough to her, Rachel fell into his arms and finally let her tears fall. "Rachel, you're scaring me. What happened?"

"I made a huge mistake," she sobbed into his shoulder.

Blaine cocked his eyebrow. "Going out with Finn…?" This just made Rachel cry harder. "Rachel, I want to help you, but I can't if you won't talk to me. Let's sit down." He led her over to the couch and she plopped down before he ran to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. She always drank water when she was sad. "Now, what's going on? Why are you crying?"

Rachel wiped her eyes and took a drink from her glass, hesitating to speak. Blaine stared at her pointedly and she began explaining. "I messed up everything. The night that Finn and I went to the wedding, we slept together – as you know – but he was out of condoms and I didn't have any and I…" she hiccupped and Blaine put his hands over his mouth.

"Oh Rachel, you didn't."

She nodded and started crying harder. "I took the m-morning after pill but I think I took it too late-e so it didn't work. I completely forgot that we didn't use protection until it hit me-e two days later when I checked my calendar. I ovulated that Sunday."

"Rachel, are you pregnant?" he asked point blank.

"Based on my c-calculation, tomorrow is six weeks from wh-when I conceived."

"And you're sure about all this?"

Rachel nodded her head solemnly. "I know my body. I've kept careful track of m-my cycle since I started it at thirteen. I haven't been irregular since I-I was seventeen and even if I was it doesn't change the fact that the p-pr-regnancy test I took was positive."

Blaine looked really disappointed in her but tried to be understanding of her predicament. "And you told Finn tonight. I take it that didn't go well."

Rachel sniffled and tried to stave off another round of tears. "He s-said he couldn't do it. He doesn't want to help me."

"What?" Blaine cried angrily. "That's bullshit, Rachel! He's half responsible for this! He's going to help you with this baby. He's its father; he needs to be there for him or her and you."

"If _he_ doesn't want to be here, I don't want him here. I'll just go it alone. A lot of women are single mothers and do fine."

"Rachel, you're twenty-two, we live in a tiny apartment and you are a bartender. How do you expect to take care of a baby yourself?"

"I'm not a bartender. I'm an actress. I just tend bar on the side." She didn't mention how she had quit and was now actually unemployed.

"And you can kiss that dream goodbye. How are you supposed to take care of a baby and work on Broadway? They aren't exactly compatible."

Rachel was afraid to admit that her cousin had a point. She had been dreading thinking about the future as her pregnancy put everything she worked for in jeopardy and made everything more complicated. Deep down, she wanted to believe it would be alright, but reality never matched her idealism in the past so why would it start now?

"I think you should talk with Finn again. Make him come around. I mean, I'll be here for you and the kid, but he's the father and should own up to it."

"I'm not talking to him again. I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore. It was hard enough having to see him at work all the time and know he didn't care about me, I can't raise a child with him when I know he doesn't want me or the baby."

"I'm sure that's not true. He's probably just scared and not thinking straight or something."

Rachel stood up and stared down at Blaine with fury in her eyes. "Whose side are you on?"

"I'm on yours but-"

"If he really cared about me or this baby then he would be here instead of running away like a coward. Finn never liked me as more than just a friend and now he probably doesn't even like me as that. He'll probably pretend like he's never even met me." Rachel grabbed her water and started for her room. "I'm going to bed. I'm really tired and I don't want to talk or think about this anymore tonight."

Blaine stood up and followed her. "Well, you may not want to think about it tonight but you will in the future. That baby is coming in 34 weeks and you need to be prepared."

"Like I don't already know that," she mumbled to herself as she entered her room and closed the door.

Rachel sniffled as tears threatened to consume her again but this time she fought them off. She was tired of crying and just wanted to change into her pajamas and go to sleep. She stripped off her dress and hung it back up in her closet as she hadn't even worn it for two hours and kicked her shoes off to put them back in their designated cubby. As she passed by her vanity mirror she caught her reflection and took a step back for a closer examination.

She didn't look pregnant. Her stomach hadn't seemed to change, her breasts were the same size despite their tenderness, but she knew that tucked inside her was a little life that she hadn't meant to create. Rachel spread her hand and placed it over her flat stomach trying to imagine what was going on inside there.

Until that night, Rachel couldn't even admit that she was pregnant. She knew it to be true, but could never bring herself to say the words, even in her head. It was too foreign of a concept to even consider much less accept. She was only twenty-two and she had so much yet that she wanted to achieve that was going to have to be put on hold because of a poor judgment call. And she was going to have to do it all alone.

When she told Finn, her intent had never been to trap him or make him stay with her. For as much as she hated that all she would ever be to Finn was a friend, that was what she really needed right now, a friend to help her. She needed Finn to be there for her and their baby. He was the father and Rachel was hoping that he could at least love his son or daughter if he couldn't love her.

She had been so stupid. Perhaps if she had given him a chance to explain and make amends he wouldn't have run away from their problem. But it was just so hard to be around him. The night they shared may have meant nothing to him but it had meant a lot to her, more than she ever wanted anyone to know. She thought it was the beginning of something bigger, no matter how much she tried to deny that she wanted a relationship, but to him it had just been another notch on the bedpost. He didn't care about her like she cared about him and that was why she had to distance herself from him. She couldn't be his friend when she wanted so much more. When she told him it was stupid and meant nothing to her, it had been the biggest lie of her life.

Feeling drained and so sleepy as her body began to come down from the stress of her evening, Rachel threw on a nightgown and climbed into bed and was startled when something jumped at her from the window. She squealed until she realized it was just Snickerdoodle leaving his perch for the night to curl up in bed with her. He settled in against her chest and began to purr as she stroked his back.

"Like always, I guess it's just you and me, Doodle…at least for the next few months." Rachel scanned her darkened room wondering where in the hell she was going to put a baby. She couldn't afford a two bedroom on her own and she couldn't share a single room with her child forever.

Despair filled her to the brim as the gravity of her decision to keep her baby fell on her fully for the first time. Perhaps she was making a mistake not giving her baby up to a good home that could provide for him or her. Or maybe she just had to face facts that staying in the city just wouldn't be possible, especially as she had no job currently.

As Rachel cried herself to sleep, Finn was waiting outside Puckerman's door for him to answer his call.

He didn't know who else to go to. Everyone he knew would blame him and say he was being selfish, and childish, and that he needed to take responsibility for the child he had helped create, and deep down he knew all this, but at the moment he didn't want to hear it. He just wanted someone to tell him that he wasn't wrong to not feel prepared for this and the only person he knew who could tell him that and make him believe it was Puck.

Only Puck didn't answer the door. "Uncle Finn?" his nine year old pseudo-niece Beth said as she opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

As Finn looked at the girl who was a miniature replica of her mother, he felt a pang in his chest. He remembered the hell Puck and Quinn went through to keep her and how Puck had no life for the first six years of hers and all the sacrifices he had to make because of a drunken night with Quinn. But then he remembered how proud Puck was when Beth smiled at him the first time, said Dada the first time, and when she took her first steps, and every other time she hit a milestone. He made being a dad seem rewarding. Finn had never felt so conflicted in his life.

"Is your dad home?"

"He went out to get more juice for Ben. He should be back soon if you wanna wait for him."

"Okay." Beth widened the door and allowed Finn to enter. When he walked into the apartment he could hear giggling coming from down the hall and saw an unfortunate pause on Alyssa Milano's face which made her look disfigured on the TV in the living room. Beth walked down the hall to alert her mother to Finn's arrival and Finn waited in the kitchen.

Evidence of a happy family was all over the apartment and the kitchen was no exception. Paint handprints and stick figure drawings as well as A pluses on vocabulary and math tests hung on the refrigerator. _Cars_ sippy cups and _Finding Nemo_ plates were drying in the dish rack and a _Tangled_ backpack was hanging off the chair next to the one Finn currently occupied and it all reminded him of Rachel.

"Unka Finn!" an excitable two year old yelled as he screamed around the corner and into the kitchen completely naked and wet save for the hooded towel with the little bear ears flowing behind him, Quinn hot on his heels. Before he could reach his destination of Finn's leg, Quinn scooped him up and wrapped the towel around his little body.

"Benjamin, you have to get your jammies on before you run around." Quinn dried him off as she turned to Finn. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too. I'm waiting for Puck."

"He ran to the store."

"That's what I heard."

"Why are you wearing a suit?" Quinn questioned as she noticed his dressier attire.

Finn sighed and put his head in his hands. "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"You've got jammies to put on and I'd rather talk to Puck about it."

"You know I'm going to find out anyway. Puck doesn't hide anything from me anymore. Not since the last time."

Finn recalled the last time. Puck had concealed the fact that he had brought the kids to Atlantic City with him and lost Ben for a solid three hours instead of taking them to Great Adventure like he was supposed to. The fight had been huge and Quinn had filed for divorce – again – separating them for three months until Puck had been able to convince her he was sorry and even though he didn't deserve her, he still loved her and didn't want things to end that way. It had been the eighth split and third divorce filing since they started dating at sixteen and got married at twenty-two yet they always managed to work through it and get back together.

"Well, this really doesn't concern your relationship so he really doesn't need to tell you," Finn replied.

"But he will. Come on, we've been friends since high school. You really can't trust me?"

Finn looked from Quinn to the small boy in her arms who was babbling to himself and chewing on his towel. "Do you know Rachel? My bartender?"

"I think we may have met."

He couldn't believe he was telling Quinn. "Well…" But he was cut off by the door opening and Puck calling to his wife.

"I got his friggin' juice. Can I please play Xbox in peace now?" Puck stopped short when he saw Finn sitting at his kitchen table. "Hey dude. What are you doing here?"

"He was just about to tell me when you walked in." Quinn stood. "I'm going to get Ben dressed. He's finally getting sleepy."

"What the hell did I need to get him juice for then?"

"For the morning." She kissed Puck's cheek and he rubbed Ben's towel clad head. "Say goodnight to daddy."

"Nigh' Dada," Ben mumbled sleepily.

"Goodnight li'l dude." He kissed his head and watched as Quinn carried him out of the kitchen. Puck turned his attention back to Finn. "So what's up?"

"I'm fucked," he started bluntly, feeling more at ease now that Puck was around.

"You're gonna have to be more specific." Puck pulled two beers out of the fridge and sat down, handing one to Finn. He didn't touch it.

Finn tugged on his hair and put his elbows on the table. "Rachel and I had sex and didn't use protection and now she's telling me she's pregnant and it's mine but I'm not ready to be a dad, I don't know how to be a dad, I didn't have a dad until I was 16 and now I'm supposed to be one? We hardly know each other and she wants me to raise a baby with her and how can I do that? I just…I can't do it. I'm not prepared for this." It all came out in a single breath. Puck didn't say anything as he stared at Finn critically. Then he smacked Finn in the head. "Dude, what the hell?"

"You slept with Berry and didn't tell me? What happened to the Bro Code? You always tell me about the girls so I can live vicariously."

"She asked me not to tell anyone and I didn't want to piss her off more."

"Is that why she's been such a bitch lately? You'd think getting laid would have mellowed her out."

"She hasn't been a bitch," he defended her. "She's just been…angry with me and I still have no idea why."

"Uh, probably because she got pregnant…? When did this happen exactly?"

"Six weeks ago…at Santana's wedding."

Puck shook his head in disbelief. "Damn Disney World…who springs a family trip on someone three days before leaving? A bitter woman who still hates Santana, that's who," he grumbled. "Okay, just walk me through what happened…and I want details on what Berry is like in the sack. If I didn't have the ol' ball and chain I'd find out myself."

"I heard that," Quinn called as she walked past the entryway to the kitchen.

"I love you!" Puck yelled back at her to cover his ass. Finn couldn't help but chuckle a little. Puck was so whipped and didn't even realize it. He turned back to Finn and lowered his voice, "Seriously, I want _details_."

Finn started at the beginning about the miscommunication which led to his needing a girlfriend all the way up to what happened at the restaurant, only earning a few interruptions as he spoke.

"So after she left, I went and got a burger because I was hungry then walked here."

"Are you a moron?" Puck stared at him like he was mentally deficient. "You made the choice to bone without a bag and knocked Berry up and then you just leave her alone to deal with it? That's a dick move, dude."

"You don't underst-"

"Do not finish that sentence because you damn well know that I understand. I was a teenage father, I was more concerned with video games and looking pathetic to get booze than taking care of a baby, but I still manned up and took responsibility for what I did." Finn didn't say anything, his face hard as his best friend chewed him out. He knew Puck was right but that wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear at the moment. "This isn't like you, Finn. You're always trying to take care of shit and help people but when it's your own kid that needs you, you bail? What are you thinking?"

He didn't usually discuss emotions with Puck as he was about as sensitive as a kick to the balls, but he seemed to be offering a helping hand and at the moment maybe that was what he needed. "I'm scared, okay? I barely know Rachel, we aren't even dating, and she's having my kid and how do you handle that, you know? I always thought I'd have kids someday but I thought I'd be married and in love and ready for them. I like Rachel, but I don't know if I want to have kids with her."

"And I'm sure Rachel loves that she got knocked up out of wedlock by her boss," Puck replied sarcastically. "Look man, the situation sucks now, but that doesn't mean it always has to. Quinn and I had only been dating like a week when I got her pregnant and here we are ten years later. It wasn't easy but it was worth it. I love her and our kids and honestly, I don't regret anything, even the hard times."

Finn toyed with his left hand, visions from the past flooding his memory. "…I just don't know if I can do this again. I crashed and burned last time and I'm sick of always ending up with the short stick. I don't want that to happen again."

"What are you talking about, man? You've never gotten a girl pregnant before," Puck asked, not sure what Finn meant. Puck was the only one who knew about every girl Finn had been with and he knew he had never gone through a situation like this before.

"But what if I give everything I have again and fail? What if I'm a shitty dad and my kid hates me? What if I try to be with Rachel and she ends up hating me too? The way she stormed out I'm pretty sure she already does."

"Did you get your period? God you are whiny." There was that sensitivity Puck was known for. "Being a parent is hard but the best thing you can do is just be there for your kids and love them…even when they set fire to the rug trying to contact the dead during a séance. We had to replace the entire living room carpet and the drapes because of Little Miss Wiccan." Puck rolled his eyes.

"Beth is nine, how does she even know what a Wiccan is?" Finn was twenty-six and wasn't entirely sure what one was.

"She's been watching _Charmed_ or some shit. Anyway, we aren't talking about Beth; we're talking about you and your idiot brain. Whatever you did tonight, you need to undo and you need to grovel for forgiveness from your baby mama because I know you and you will forever regret walking away from her and that baby if you don't. Whatever hang-ups you have about being a pop, get over 'em because really, ninety percent of being a dad is just showing up."

Finn scrunched his eyebrows together. "Did you steal that from _Modern Family_?"

Puck shrugged. "Maybe…but Jay has a point, man."

"I can't believe you watch _Modern Family_," Finn said through a chuckle.

"Sofia Vergara is hot and you know I got a thing for forceful women. What's your excuse?" Puck calmed down and turned serious again. "So what are you gonna do? Be a coward and run away from your problems like a little bitch because 'life is hard and I can't do it'," he pouted in a whiny voice and wiped at his eyes mock crying, "or are you going to be a man and take care of your family like you should because it's what's right?"

When Puck put it in those terms, Finn realized how big of a jackass he had been after Rachel told him she was pregnant. He had only been thinking about himself and had never really thought about how difficult this must be for Rachel too. There was no way she was prepared for a baby and his declaration of not being ready certainly couldn't have helped. She needed him and so did their baby and he had made a huge mistake. Puck was right, he was a fixer and this was a major break he had to mend.

"You're absolutely right. I need to be there for Rachel and our baby. I need to fix this for them."

"Good. I'm glad you've seen the light."

Finn stood abruptly. "I'm gonna go talk to her now. I need to apologize for this mess."

"Dude, it's like midnight. She's probably in bed by now. Quinn was out by nine every night when she was pregnant. Just talk to her in the morning after she's had some rest and time to cool down. You could probably use a night to think through what to say too."

Finn knew he was right. He really did need to think about what to say to explain why he had reacted so poorly to Rachel's news. It had been hard enough to talk to Rachel after they had slept together due to her disappointment in him which meant chances were it would be impossible after the events at the restaurant. The only difference would be that this time he wouldn't give up. If he had to beg for forgiveness for the rest of his life, he would.

"Thanks for the talk, Puck," Finn said as he finished off his beer.

"Don't mention it. And I'm serious. _Don't_ mention it. I don't need everyone knowing I was getting all emo with you. I have a reputation to protect."

"Whatever. I'll see you Monday."

Puck held his fist out to Finn and he bumped it. "Good luck with your baby mama. Berry's pretty insane on a normal day so you're gonna need it."

The entire way home Finn thought about how best to explain his paralyzing fear of failing as the reason for running when confronted with fatherhood and by the time he found himself in bed, he was drained. His evening had been quite taxing and with his newfound sense of responsibility, Finn knew it was only going to get harder.

But as he slipped into unconsciousness, Finn felt optimistic about the future…if only he could earn Rachel's forgiveness first.


	5. The Apology

Despite his conscious state being confident about working things out with Rachel and righting his wrong, Finn's unconscious state apparently wasn't as optimistic.

Finn had woken up multiple times that night, his dreams about angry little strawberries attacking him and attempting to corral a roomful of babies that grew at rapid pace until they were giants, etcetera, providing no rest as he stressed in his sleep about the future. By the time he woke to start his day, he had forgotten the details of every nightmare but the anxiety remained and made him tense as he made himself coffee to stay awake and went for an early morning run. Normally he wasn't up before noon, but sleeping hadn't exactly worked out and he knew Rachel was a morning person. Chances were she would be awake and the sooner he could talk to her, the better. He just needed to work out exactly what to say to her. Words and expressing himself had never exactly come easy to Finn.

By the time he felt ready to speak to her, he found that his feet had subconsciously carried him a block from her house. Rather than running all the way home to change just to come back to the same place, Finn ran the rest of the way to Rachel's building.

Unlike last night he hadn't been lucky enough to run into another person who lived in the building at the exact moment he had arrived and as there was no doorman for the building, that meant he was going to need to be buzzed in. He just hoped Rachel would let him inside. Finn found Berry*/Anderson under 3B and pressed the button, praying she would open the door for him.

"_Hello? Who is this?_" her angelic voice rang through the scratchy filter of the intercom.

"Hey, Rachel, it's Finn."

There wasn't a response after that. He pressed the buzzer a few more times but nothing. He tried once more out of desperation.

"_Are you not getting the hint? Go away, Finn! I don't want to talk to you,_" her angry voice called through the speaker this time.

"Rachel, please, I changed my mind. I want to apologize for last night and I want to be there for you and the baby. I made a mistake but I want to make up for it. Please just let me in."

There was hesitation and the speaker went dead. Frustration growing Finn pressed the buzzer for 1A and would go through them all to see if anyone would let him in. The first three were total busts as it seemed no one was home, the fourth had what sounded like a Russian woman who didn't speak English, the fifth thought he was a solicitor, the sixth said she wouldn't let anyone in she didn't know and just as he was about to try the seventh, the door opened. Finn breathed a sigh of relief, thanks on his tongue until he saw who it was, the word dying on his lips.

"My cousin may not want to talk to you but I have enough to say for her." Blaine stepped out of the building and the door shut behind him. Now a tiny man and a door stood between Finn and his destination. "Do you often get girls pregnant then flake out on them when they need you or is Rachel just special?"

"I know what I did last night was terrible but that's why I'm here now. I want to fix it."

"Do you realize what you did to her? Not just knocking her up, but emotionally? She really liked you, I know she did because drunk or not, Rachel doesn't sleep around with random men, but you broke her heart. Not just once, but twice."

"I never meant to hurt her. Last night, I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend but she dropped the bomb on me before I could."

"And then you ran away. You sound like great boyfriend material."

Finn sighed and leaned against the wall of the building. "I panicked, okay? I wasn't prepared for this and everything just moved so fast. One second I was single and the next I was being saddled with a kid I didn't plan for with a woman I barely know. It just scared me to suddenly have all this added responsibility…so I ran from it. But I realized it wasn't right and that's why I'm here now. I still don't know if I'm going to be a good dad or…or if Rachel and I will ever be more than just two people who happened to have a baby together, but I'm going to do everything possible to be the best dad I can be. That's why I need to talk to Rachel. I need to tell her all this and how sorry I am for reacting the way I did."

He looked at Blaine whose hardened expression softened a minute amount. His eyes looked almost sympathetic. "Do you mean that?"

"Absolutely. I'm partially responsible for this and Rachel shouldn't go through this alone. I'm here for anything she and our kid needs."

"You changed your tune awful fast."

Finn shrugged. "I think when Rachel slapped me that was when it sunk in that I had made a huge mistake. I just didn't accept it until I talked with my friend Puck."

"She slapped you?" Blaine asked in surprise.

"Pretty hard, actually. For such a small woman she's got a strong arm."

"Her dads made her take self-defense classes before she moved to the city. Now she spars with me at the gym twice a week to keep up on it. Although that'll probably end now that she's pregnant."

Finn's eyebrow popped up. "Rachel fights?" He was impressed.

"Only for exercise and safety purposes, but I still wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her right hooks, or an elbow to the groin." Before they could get further off topic, Blaine steered them back to the issue at hand. "Look man, I told Rachel last night that she should talk to you again since you are the father and even though I said I would help her out, you need to be there for her too. So if you're serious about committing to this baby and helping Rachel, I'll help you out."

Finn smiled in appreciation. "That would be great. Thanks, Blaine."

"Don't thank me just yet. Just because I can get you in a room with Rachel doesn't mean I can make her listen to you, but I'll try to talk up your cause when you aren't around."

"Well, can I talk to her now?"

"Yeah, but tread lightly." Blaine unlocked the door and let Finn inside before leading the way up to his apartment.

When they arrived, the place was quiet but not silent. Singing could be heard coming from Rachel's room, the tune familiar yet unknown to Finn. They walked down the hall and Blaine knocked on Rachel's door. She stopped singing and Finn instantly missed the sound of her voice.

The door cracked open and a sliver of Rachel's face showed through the space. When her eye glanced up from Blaine's face to Finn's, it widened and the door closed again. Blaine tried the knob but she had locked it.

"Rachel, would you just talk to the guy?" Blaine pleaded through the barrier between them.

"No! Go away!" a muffled yell called through the door.

He sighed. "He's here to apologize."

"I don't care. I'm tired of his apologies and I'm tired of him." They could hear slamming from inside her room. "How could you bring him up here when I told you I never wanted to see him again?"

"How can you deny the father of your child the right to be in his or her life?"

The noise ceased and Finn thought that Blaine had really gotten to her with that question. The door cracked open again, showing her entire face. Her deep brown eyes held nothing but contempt as she stared at Finn pointedly, speaking to him for the first time since he entered the apartment.

"You gave up your right to be in _my_ child's life when you walked away yesterday. As far as I'm concerned, you have as much right to this baby as a sperm donor. Now get out of my apartment before I call the cops for harassment."

She slammed the door shut again, locking it, and ignoring all attempts at further conversation from there.

Blaine turned to Finn looking a little pained. "It seems I underestimated just how angry she is at you."

"What am I supposed to do now?" He walked back down the hall feeling more defeated than ever before.

"Actions speak louder than words, right? You'll just have to show her how sorry you are and how committed you are to this. A good way to start would be to show up to her first OB appointment on Tuesday. I can't make it because I have class so she'll be alone and I know she's scared out of her mind. She'll need someone there with her. Be that someone."

"Are you sure she won't try to like kill me or something?"

Blaine motioned for Finn to sit on the couch. He plopped down and Blaine sat in the chair to the right. "I've known Rachel my entire life. She's been more like a big sister to me than a cousin, we're so close. She's terrified right now, having a baby with a man she isn't married to or even dating, working as a bartender part-time because her career hasn't taken off quite like she hoped, living here with me…she's not exactly in a great place to be having a baby. You leaving her to do it on her own…she keeps saying she's fine and she can handle it herself, but deep down I know she wants your help. She needs you; she wants her child to have their dad." He looked back toward her door before lowering his voice. "Rachel kinda has abandonment issues. She has my uncles and they've always been great to her, treated her like a little princess and gave her every opportunity to better herself, but her mother…well, it's a long story, but basically her mother was never in her life growing up then when they finally met, she didn't want anything to do with Rachel. Rachel's never really gotten over it. I don't know if she's mad that you abandoned _her_ when she needed you most or if she's upset about you leaving _your kid_ like her mother left her or both, but I'm sure it's fueling her anger at you. She doesn't like to admit it, but it's a big issue of hers."

Now Finn felt extra guilty. He had no idea that Rachel's relationship with her mother was so poor. When he asked about her mother after she mentioned she had two gay dads, Rachel just said she didn't know her and didn't feel the need to find out and moved onto the next question. She had never betrayed a hint of sadness or hurt or anger when he breached the subject.

"I really messed up."

Blaine looked at him sympathetically. "Rachel has a high tolerance for forgiveness if the person is worthy of it. Just give her time and I'm sure she'll come around." He stood up and started for the kitchen. "If you wanna go to her appointment, this is the information." He grabbed a business card off the fridge and walked back to hand it to Finn. "Now I'd suggest getting out of here before Rachel kills us both."

Finn stood up and shook Blaine's hand. "Thanks for this. I know I probably don't deserve your help, but I appreciate it."

"I'm mostly doing it for Rachel and the kid's benefit but, Rachel must have seen something in you to like you in the first place, so you can't be all bad."

"Um, thanks...I guess." Finn turned to leave but quickly looked back at Blaine. "If she comes out of her room, tell her I really am sorry and I'm going to do everything I can to prove I'm here to stay."

"I will pass that along."

Finn sent one last longing glance down the hall to Rachel's room before exiting the apartment and heading to the nearest book store.

Over the next two days, Finn spent every free moment he had reading up on pregnancy, babies, and parenting and even took Beth and Ben to the Central Park Zoo that Sunday to spend some time around kids. If he was going to be a dad, he had to learn how to handle kids…or more accurately how they would handle him. Somehow the Bs had each swindled a few stuffed animals, t-shirts, and enough sugar to keep them running for days out of him at the gift shop. If he was this pliant with other people's kids, his child was going to be the most spoiled kid ever.

Monday passed slowly as Finn waited for Tuesday to arrive. He was eager to talk to Rachel again and actually quite excited to see their baby for the first time. In his research he had learned that even though Rachel would only technically be around seven weeks pregnant the doctor would add about two weeks to count from the first day of her last cycle. He had been thoroughly confused by this in his reading and got into a debate about how it didn't make sense with Quinn when she tried to explain it. As she told him that technically the first two weeks a woman isn't pregnant but those weeks still count toward the pregnancy, Finn just stared at her like a crazy person until he gave up.

He had also learned that their baby's eyes were fully developed now, his lips, nose, and ears were becoming more defined and his fingers and toes were elongating. And most excitingly, their baby was becoming either a boy or girl. It would be a few weeks yet before they could find out which, but it was exciting nonetheless.

Finn still couldn't believe that he was half responsible for the little person growing inside Rachel. The miracle of life really boggled his mind.

As for Rachel, excitement was the last emotion she was feeling. Though Blaine had told her what Finn asked him to, she was still reluctant to believe him. He probably just pitied her and felt obligated to help. Why would he possibly want to stick around to help her of his own free will when she gave him a clean out? They had no attachments. They weren't married, they weren't dating, Finn didn't even have feelings for her. She didn't need his pity or to guilt him into sticking around. If he didn't want to be there, she didn't want him around.

After she signed in with the receptionist for her appointment, Rachel sat down with the medical history form she needed to fill out and waited for her name to be called. She made it through half of the first page when a baby began crying, calling her attention. Rachel looked up to see a young woman, perhaps only a few years her senior, picking up a tiny baby. The little girl was wrapped in pink and wailing loudly as her mother held her close and lightly bounced her, rubbing her back and making soothing sounds. Only the baby wouldn't stop crying. It just seemed to get louder and louder until it was all consuming.

Rachel shot out of her seat feeling momentarily nauseated but powered through to find her way to the bathroom. As she flicked the light on, the roar of the vent drowned out the sound of the crying and she could begin to think again.

She wet a paper towel and dabbed lightly at her hot face to bring her temperature down. Over the past few weeks she had been running a slight fever which she had read was normal, but at the moment it was less than pleasant. It was amazing how once she realized she was pregnant all of her symptoms seemed to hit her at once.

Once feeling a little more under control of herself, Rachel exited the bathroom. Feeling a bit jittery and not in the mood to watch more mothers and babies and happy couples, Rachel read the bulletin board posted near the bathroom. There were flyers for baby boutiques, pregnancy yoga classes, maternity stores, Lamaze classes and one pamphlet that hung in the box of pamphlets that caught her attention.

_So You're a Baby Mama?_ the title read with a picture of a pregnant woman holding a small child's hand. Rachel picked it up and read through a few points. It appeared to be a pamphlet with information for single and unwed mothers with dates and times of group meetings and private counseling with one Emma Pillsbury, PhD. The meetings were free and according to the bullet points could help Rachel with figuring out how to best cope mentally, physically, emotionally and financially while making it through pregnancy alone, as well as being a single mother after birth.

"What's that?" a masculine voice said over her shoulder making her jump.

Rachel clutched at her heart and spun around quickly to find Finn standing about a foot away from her. Once she got over the shock of being snuck up on, frustration filled her. "What are you doing here?" she hissed at him.

"I'm here to support you and see our baby."

"You mean _my_ baby. And I'm not letting you anywhere near the exam room. Your presence isn't necessary here and I would appreciate it if you would please leave before I have them call security to escort you off the premises."

Finn tugged on his nose and pursed his lips. "Can't you give me another chance?"

"I gave you a chance and you walked away."

"So you're going to punish me forever for a minor lapse in judgment?"

Rachel's eyes widened incredulously. "A minor lapse in judgment? No, a minor lapse in judgment is wearing a skirt without tights when it's below freezing outside. A minor lapse in judgment is staying up late to watch a Barbra marathon with class at eight am. Getting a woman pregnant and leaving her alone to deal with it is not a minor lapse in judgment, Finn. That's reprehensible and selfish and low and an all around dick move to pull."

"And I am sorry for all of that," he groveled. "I'm here now and I'm not leaving you. Even if you don't let me in that room, I'm still going to be here when you get out. I'm going to be here at the next appointment, and the next, and for middle of the night food runs, and to buy baby supplies, and decorate the nursery, and when our baby is born and every day after that. I'm serious about this Rachel." He took her hand and held it tightly so she couldn't pull away. "I screwed up, I know that, but I'm going to spend every day making it up to you. I just panicked."

"And you aren't panicking anymore?" Rachel asked harshly.

"Of course I am. I'm scared shitless, but when I left, I was only thinking about me. Then I realized that I'm not most important anymore. You and our kid are. And I know you're just as terrified as I am, probably more, which is why we need to work together on this. You can hate me all you want, just please don't take our kid away from me."

Rachel didn't look happy as she crossed her arms over her chest then immediately removed them. Her breasts were quite tender and even the slightest pressure hurt. Instead she placed her hands on her hips.

"I have paperwork to fill out." She stepped around Finn, slipping the pamphlet in her purse and pulling out the paperwork she needed to finish.

Finn made a few more attempts at conversation until Rachel kicked in her silent treatment and ignored him, making him finally realize she wasn't going to talk further. While she filled out her family's medical history to the best of her knowledge, the persistent feeling of eyes on her kept distracting her from her task. She glanced over to find Finn's eyes avert just a second too late. How dare he think it would be okay for him to show his face here? She had explicitly told him she didn't want his help yet he was insisting on it and apparently stalking her to find out her whereabouts. It was just weird how he had made such a quick about face on the entire thing and it was confusing the hell out of her.

After their conversation at the restaurant, Rachel realized she was going to have to face facts that she would be a single mother and she was preparing for that, in the process of readying herself. But then Finn seemed to change his mind and now she didn't know what to think. It would be so much easier to just allow him back in, but how could she trust him? He had been so quick to brush her off when she needed him before. How could she trust he wouldn't do it again? What if she believed him and let him back into her life and their child's but everything became too much for him and he abandoned them? She wasn't sure she could handle that again.

"Rachel?" a nurse called from the doorway back to the exam rooms. When no one else responded, Rachel assumed it was her they were ready for and got to her feet. Much to her chagrin, Finn stood as well.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going with you."

"No, you're not."

Finn pointed at the medical history chart. "You don't know anything about my medical history. I need to fill out the father section."

She pressed the board into his chest. "Then you can fill it out, out here, then give it to the receptionist to give to the doctor."

"Rachel, please." He looked at her with pathetic puppy dog eyes. She could feel her hardened exterior beginning to crack.

"Rachel?" the nurse called again, clearly wanting to get on with her exam.

Giving up, Rachel sighed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Fine. You can come in, but only for today. Then I'm going back to not speaking to you."

A grin stretched across his face and he licked his bottom lip. "Thank you, Rachel."

She led the way through the door and they were both greeted by the smiley nurse waiting with the clipboard. "Hello, Rachel. I'm Rhonda and I'm the nurse who will be assisting during your exam today. This must be your husband." She turned to Finn with the same big grin.

"No." Rachel looked up at him, feeling awkward and embarrassed about admitting the truth. "We're not married."

"Oh, well we work with plenty of unwed couples. There's nothing wrong with that."

"We aren't a couple," Finn stated bluntly.

Nurse Rhonda's mouth puckered, "Oh." She cleared her throat and looked down at her chart. "Well, let's get you weighed and your blood pressure, temperature, all of the basic tests for your physical, shall we?" She smiled at them again and led Rachel over to the scale. "Okay, just remove your shoes and leave your purse with your…with…on the chair."

"You can just call me Finn," Finn supplied when the nurse didn't know what to refer to him as.

The physical seemed to take forever as Rachel was weighed, measured, poked and prodded, but she knew every part was necessary. She had reminded Rhonda multiple times that she needed the full array of genetic tests done on her unborn child, especially for Tay-Sachs as she was Jewish. So far no one in her family had passed it on to their children, but one could never be too careful.

Once Rachel had provided everything needed for testing purposes and Finn was done filling out his and his family's medical history, they were placed in the room just off the doctor's office. Apparently first appointments were treated with great care which Rachel appreciated.

"So is this doctor a man or a woman?" Finn asked as he stared at the model showing a baby growing in a uterus.

"Why should it matter to you?"

"Well, I don't want some dude up your skirt."

Rachel snorted derisively. "Just because we're having a baby doesn't mean you own my body. We had sex once and you were so drunk you didn't even remember it."

"I remember it. I remember you liking it," he muttered. Finn touched the model and the fetus fell out of the stomach nearly hitting the floor until he caught it with his feet.

It was unbelievable. She was having a baby with a child!

"Would you stop touching stuff?"

Finn rotated the fetus in various directions trying to place it back in the stomach the proper way, scratching his head when he couldn't make it stick. Getting aggravated with his multiple failures, Rachel hopped off the table and ripped the fetus from his hands, putting it back in perfectly on the first try.

"It is not that difficult, Finn! Now stop touching stuff or I'm kicking you out!"

Finn put his hands up in defense as Rachel got back on the table, lying back so she wouldn't have to look at him. "You're really angry all the time, you know that?"

Rachel stared at the ceiling, her jaw set. "Maybe it's because someone couldn't follow simple directions and now my entire life is in complete upheaval."

"There's gotta be some plus side to this situation."

"Well if there is I have no idea what it could be."

Finn tried to think of one as well and brightened when he did. "We get to play with all the cool kid toys again and it won't be weird."

Rachel couldn't help but chuckle at that. She knew babies weren't dolls for playing with, but she had to admit she was excited about baby clothes. Playing dress-up had always been one of her favorite pastimes as a child and now she would get to do it all over again. "I hope we have a girl."

"Why?" Finn asked, genuinely curious.

"Girl clothes are cuter than boy clothes and if she's anything like me she'll love to play dress-up."

"Kurt's a boy and he loved to play dress-up and have tea parties with Burt. Still does…only with the highest quality men's designer wear and real tea now."

Rachel chuckled again. "Well, if we have a boy and he wants to play dress up I will have no problem with it. I just think girls are easier."

Finn tried not to laugh. In no universe was Rachel easier to handle than any guy Finn had ever met. She was a rollercoaster of emotions and usually angry at him for something he did.

Before either could say anything more, the doctor finally came in. "Hello, Rachel." The woman looked up from her chart and smiled at Rachel. "I'm Dr. Rita Pearl, you've already met Rhonda." Dr. Pearl looked to Finn. "And I've been informed that you are Finn. Nice to meet you." They exchanged pleasantries and Dr. Pearl sat down in the swivel chair at the counter, looking at her chart. "This is your first pregnancy, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then you are in for a lot of new experiences, all of which we can talk about once we take a look at the little guy or girl growing in that tummy of yours. So, we'll just get you into a gown and make you comfortable."

Rhonda handed Rachel a gown and she and Dr. Pearl left the room so she could change. "Would you turn around please?"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Do not mistake my speaking with you for forgiveness. I'm still angry at you so I would suggest not making it worse by not listening to me."

Finn spun on his swivel stool and stared at the wall with a picture of a baby sleeping inside of a tulip. The picture made him wonder what his own kid would look like. He hoped he or she would be as adorable as his or her mother, just maybe not as tiny. Babies were small already and if they had Rachel's tiny genes, the little thing might slip right between his fingers.

"Okay, I'm done."

He spun back around and looked at her sitting up on the table. She was swinging her feet back and forth over the edge of the table and wringing her hands together in worry. "Your tie is open," he said when he noticed that the back of her gown was open and a sliver of her skin was showing. He wished he could just reach out and touch and it wouldn't be a big deal. He wished he could touch Rachel anytime he wanted. He wished he could get another chance with her. Finn wished for a lot of things.

Another knock on the door came before it opened again. "Are we all ready in here?"

"All set," Rachel replied.

"Great. Let's get this party started then."

It was mildly uncomfortable being so exposed in front of Finn as the doctor was between her legs doing her thing. She had of course made him turn around again, but just knowing he was there was weird. When Dr. Pearl finally brought up the image of their baby on the screen for them to see, however, Rachel gave him reprieve.

"See this black space here, that's the amniotic sac, and the little curled up white space inside?" Rachel and Finn both nodded. "That's your baby. And this little flutter here," she pointed to the spot rapidly moving in the middle of it all, "that's your baby's heartbeat."

For the first time ever, Rachel was completely speechless. It was almost out of her comprehension that a real little person was growing inside her, with her own heart beat and everything. "Is she okay? Does she look healthy?" Rachel asked in a rush after once finding her voice, needing to know that everything was how it was supposed to be.

"From the ultrasound, your baby appears perfectly healthy and is developmentally right where she should be."

Rachel couldn't tear her eyes away from the frozen image of her growing child on the screen. She could see its tiny head and body so clearly and felt a swell of affection in her heart. If she didn't love her baby before, she certainly did now.

Dr. Pearl wrote some things down in Rachel's file and handed it to Rhonda before turning back to her. "Okay. We'll get you some print outs of this and if you'd like a DVD. You can go ahead and get dressed again then you can take that door over there right into my office." She stood up and smiled down at her. "Your baby really looks beautiful. Congratulations, you two."

Once the doctor and nurse had left the room, Rachel finally turned to look at Finn and was surprised by his reaction. He looked a little mystified, not to mention misty.

"You aren't going to run away again, are you? You look really flighty right now."

Finn blinked once before focusing his stare on Rachel. He shook his head no, cleared his throat, and the corner of his mouth tugged up into a happy grin. "No, I'm not gonna run. It's just a lot to take in."

"It is pretty incredible. All of that is going on in here." She placed her hand on her abdomen.

Finn cleared his throat and stood up. "So I'll just let you get dressed. I'll go wait in the doctor's office." Rachel gave him a firm nod. "Hey, Rachel…"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for letting me come in with you. It was really awesome to see our kid." He turned around and stepped into the office to give Rachel privacy.

She sat alone on the table for a moment just staring at the door Finn had walked through. Now she felt more conflicted than ever about him. Before he showed up here, Rachel had been certain she didn't need or want him around; she could be a single mother. But then he was here and fighting to see their baby. Maybe he didn't want to be with her, but it did seem he wanted to be a father to their child.

Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to let him.

* * *

I just want to say thank you to all my readers again. You all are seriously the best.


	6. The Talk

"December 31st due date. Maybe we'll have a New Year's baby. That would be cool, huh?" Finn said as he and Rachel walked out of the office after their meeting with their doctor. "We could be on the news if he's the first baby born next year."

"Just what we need…the entire world knowing that I got pregnant out of wedlock by a man I hardly know," she replied with mock enthusiasm.

The excitement faded from his face as it crumpled. "Well, by then we'll know each other."

"It still won't change the fact that we had a one-night stand and are not married." Rachel sighed as she pressed the 'DOWN' button for the elevator. Seconds later the doors opened and Finn motioned for Rachel to step ahead of him. She took a deep breath and turned to face Finn. "Thank you for coming with me. I know I wasn't too happy about it at first, but your presence actually was rather calming."

"Really?" Finn asked with an air of surprise, cocking his eyebrow at her. "I thought I mostly annoyed you."

"You did. But it kept me from being too much in my own head. I over think everything and work myself up and you distracted me from doing just that. Plus, it made me realize that perhaps I shouldn't continue to write you off as a deadbeat dad. You came today when you didn't have to and I think that shows you do care."

"I do. I really want to be there for you both and I swear I'm going to do everything I can to make it up to you for ever making you doubt that."

The elevator dinged as it hit the ground floor and Rachel led them out to the street. "So you have the information for the next appointment and mine and Blaine's cell numbers in case for any reason you should need to reach me and I have yours. I think that's it. I'll see you at my next appointment I guess."

"Wait…that's like, a month away…"

"I know."

"Well, that's kind of a long time to go without seeing each other, don't you think? Shouldn't we, I don't know, get to know each other? Maybe we could do dinner."

That was the only problem with having a baby with Finn and allowing him to be a part of the baby's life, she was going to have to actually deal with Finn which was going to be like a stab in the heart every single time she had to see him.

"Because that went so well last time," she replied sarcastically.

"Rachel, we're having a kid together. We can't pretend that isn't happening."

"I'm not pretending anything. I just…I can't do dinner tonight. I'm busy."

Finn looked at her skeptically. "What are you busy with?"

"I have to job hunt as I am unemployed now."

A light bulb went off over Finn's head. "If you have dinner with me tonight, you can have your job back." Rachel looked unsure. "With a raise…and you can work in the office when you get bigger because I know your back and feet will start to hurt and stuff." He was desperate to get back into Rachel's good graces and spend some real time with her.

She glared at him for reminding her that eventually she would expand into a blimp. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" While it would save her the hassle of having to find yet another job and she would be getting paid more, it meant she would have to be around Finn daily which was what she was trying to avoid.

"You need a job and I know how annoying it is to search for one. You already know what you're doing at the bar and you know I'm going to take care of you."

"But everyone will talk."

"People talk no matter where you work. At least at the bar people are your friends and I'm the boss so I can tell them all to shut up and get back to work." Rachel smiled weakly at that. "Please. I want to know who I'm having a baby with. Don't you want to know too?"

Damn it. He had her there. She kept saying how the fact she didn't know him was a problem and now he was begging to get to know her and she was turning him down. Rachel had a silent argument in her head over the best course of action until she finally caved. If she was going to let Finn into her life, it probably was best to learn something about him.

"Fine." Finn beamed as he realized he won. "But I'm only taking your offer because finding a new job is very stressful and the doctor said to avoid stressful situations as best as possible. Now, where are we going to eat?"

A few blocks down the street, Finn and Rachel found themselves at a pizzeria he and Puck frequented at least once a week.

"Classy," Rachel replied dryly as they watched a table of teenage boys racing to see who could finish a whole pizza first.

"You wanted to get to know me…this is my favorite pizza place and they have veggie pizzas. My personal favorite is the Hawaiian because you get ham _and_ pineapple."

Rachel moved closer to the selection of pizzas and made a face. The smell of sizzling meat and grease were plugging up her nose and she was beginning to feel that familiar sensation of bile rising in her throat.

"What kind do you want?" Finn asked, looking from the menu back down to Rachel only to see that she had disappeared. He walked to the window and saw her standing outside retching into a garbage can. Finn ran outside and pulled her hair back, rubbing her back soothingly as she spit into the can. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. I totally forgot about your morning sickness."

"It's okay. How could you know meat and grease would set me off? I didn't even know." She stood up and rummaged through her purse for a tissue, wiping her mouth.

"Did you want to go somewhere else?"

"I could really go for some pasta actually." Her appetite was coming back with a vengeance.

Finn nodded his head. "If you want there's this Italian place not too far from my apartment. We could get some food to go and eat in so no foreign smells can make you sick again."

Rachel chewed on her lip. "I suppose that would be okay."

"Great."

An hour later, Rachel was following Finn into his apartment. It was only the second time she had been there and it felt entirely weird. Less than thirty feet away was the very spot they had accidentally created a life together and being in that place again brought back those hazy memories. Based on how Finn was acting, Rachel had a feeling he was thinking the same thing.

"So, this is my apartment. I didn't really get to show you around last time."

"We were kind of busy."

"Yeah." Finn cleared his throat and carried the food into the kitchen. "Did you wanna eat at the bar or in the living room? It doesn't matter to me."

"The bar is fine."

Finn pulled out some plates and glasses and set their places on the kitchen bar while Rachel slipped off her shoes and left them by the door. She meandered over to the high stools and made herself comfortable as Finn spooned her eggplant parmesan and linguini out onto her plate.

Once the food hit her tongue, Rachel realized just how hungry she actually was. She ate quickly and silently as Finn watched her chow down in minor terror next to her.

"The food isn't going anywhere. You can slow down."

"I'm hung'y," she mumbled very unladylike through a mouthful of food before swallowing. "My stomach was rolling all morning and I was too nervous to eat before my appointment. This is the first I've eaten all day."

"Well, just remember to chew. I'm not sure how to do the Heimlich on a pregnant woman."

"I've seen you eat in the break room before. Don't tell me how to eat. You're like a little pig sometimes."

"I like food."

"Well so does Baby." Rachel patted her stomach affectionately.

Finn ate another bite of his stuffed shells and contemplated the future. It seemed, for now at least, Rachel was on speaking terms with him. He wondered what it meant for their relationship. He still really wanted to be with Rachel but he wasn't sure if dating now would help or hinder their current rocky state. Rachel's emotions regarding him were very fragile and it was probably only going to get worse as her pregnancy went on and he really didn't want to lose her altogether. They were having a kid together which meant they would be in each other's lives for at least the next eighteen years and he didn't want them to be tense and filled with bitter resentment and hate.

They were at a crucial point in their relationship right now and despite wanting more from Rachel, Finn decided it would be best not to pursue his romantic feelings. Like Rachel said, she didn't need any added stress and a new relationship while pregnant could not be easy. It hurt to admit, but it was what was best for everyone. For now, they would have to remain friends.

Rachel wiped her mouth and turned to face Finn. "So, you wanted us to get to know each other, right?" He nodded in affirmation. "Then I suggest we really get to know each other. I want the nitty gritty details. You owe me for the emotional turmoil you've put me through."

"What kind of nitty gritty details do you want?"

"I want to know what you were like as a baby, a toddler, a child, a pre-teen, a teenager, a stupid college kid, through to the present. I want to know all your embarrassing moments, your dreams, both literal and figurative, your life goals, your aspirations, any and all past relationships…basically anything we didn't cover when researching for Santana's wedding. I simply cannot raise a baby with a man I've spent less than a week total with."

"That's a lot to cover."

"Since I don't have to job hunt tonight, my schedule is wide open. So start talking."

Rachel wasn't kidding when she said she wanted everything. They spent hours talking in depth about their lives, combing through every story for the details, learning things no one else knew about the other. Finn thought about events and people he hadn't thought of in years, sometimes laughing over them, like when he and Puck dressed up like girls to raid the girls' locker room for Varsity team hazing, or feeling melancholy, like when he told Rachel how he discovered the truth about how his father really died. He was just finishing up telling her about Quinn and Puck having Beth in high school and getting to the Santana mess when Rachel started to yawn.

"Tired?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Keep talking."

"What about you? I've done most of the talking here."

"We'll get to me later. I want to hear more about Quinn and Noah. Come on." She patted his knee to move him along.

"Well, after graduation, Quinn went to Yale and Puck stayed here working odd jobs to pay for rent and daycare until Beth started school. He was basically a single dad the four years Quinn was gone. It was tough on him and he didn't have much of a life but it paid off in the end. Now he and Quinn are married, Quinn works at the Met, Puck is fully invested in the restaurant, and they're both really happy."

"Seems like they got a happy ending."

"It's not all sunshine. Quinn yells at him a lot and Puck still does things he knows will piss her off, and Quinn's filed for divorce a few times, but somehow they always work it out."

"That sounds rather tumultuous." Rachel curled up on the couch more. "So what about you senior year? You've talked about your friends and the football season, but what about you?"

Finn sighed and rubbed his face. "Do we have to go there?"

"Yes! I want to know what you were like, what happened to you on a personal level."

"Fine." He really hated talking so much about himself, but he was really trying to put in the effort. He wanted a good, healthy relationship with Rachel. "Really, there was only one thing that happened to me senior year: Santana."

"You said you dated her and things ended kind of messy but you worked it out. Was that not true?"

"Saying things ended kinda messy is a bit of an understatement. Basically, Santana was the hottest girl at my school. We started dating because her crazy cheerleading coach had this idea that her cheerleaders needed to date inferior men to make themselves more like Madonna," Rachel scrunched her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side, "Yeah, she was out there. So she asked me out…for sex…because she knew I was a virgin. It was awesome at first because she wanted it like all the time and I was learning a lot from her. We got pretty serious after a while and we were going to stay together after high school. She was going to Columbia and I was going to go to NYU so distance wouldn't be a problem.

"Then she started acting strange. Things changed. She hung out with me less, went out partying almost every night and seemed to just hate all men. So I asked her if she would move in with me thinking it would bring us closer and solve our problems. We graduated and rented an apartment in SoHo. Things got a little better…until Santana met Brittany." Rachel looked at him with sympathy, understanding where he was going. "They spent so much time together and I guess I should have known but I didn't want to see that she was cheating on me. Until it was our one year anniversary and Santana very publicly dumped me. We were at dinner and I gave her this really nice ruby necklace and as I handed it over she told me that she had been cheating on me with Brittany and liked me too much to lie anymore. Of course she did this after I made a big romantic gesture with like violins and stuff and everyone was watching."

Rachel began to laugh. "You had violins play for her?"

"The restaurant had a violinist that would go around playing for people if requested. I was trying to be romantic and it completely backfired in my face. What's worse…Brittany was waiting at our apartment when we got home and then they kicked me out and Santana kept the necklace. I had to move back in with my parents and everyone found out. It was humiliating and I felt like a jackass."

"That's unfortunate. How did you and Santana make up?"

"Well, after my first semester of college was finished, I left New York. I moved out to Los Angeles to try acting."

Rachel's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "You were an actor? Why didn't this ever come out before now? This is why I wanted you to tell me everything because you seem to forget major details."

"I didn't know I wanted to act until I took a theatre class for an elective. I loved it and my professor said I had a knack for it and should consider switching majors and applying to Tisch. After the whole thing with Santana I really just wanted to get out of New York. I spent about a year out there until the whole starving artist thing got old. I only landed one commercial while I was there."

Rachel immediately pulled her phone off the table. "What is the commercial? I must see it now." She pulled YouTube up and waited expectantly.

"It's really dumb." Rachel stared at him pointedly. "Fine." He took the phone from her and found the commercial. She watched with rapt attention as Finn came up on screen dressed as an exhausted cheerleader giving a half-hearted cheer after a man won on a scratch-off lottery ticket. She giggled so hard Finn almost took it personally.

"You look so young! Such a little baby face."

"Well, I was eighteen."

"Is that why you came back to New York? Because your career wasn't taking off like you'd hoped?"

"That was part of it."

"Uh oh. Sounds like there is a lot more to it than that. It was another girl, wasn't it?"

"How'd you know that?" Finn asked with genuine surprise.

Rachel shrugged. "You're wearing the same expression you wore when talking about how badly Santana hurt you. A mix of sadness and self-loathing. So what happened there?"

Just then Finn was spared from having to tell the story by the sound of Rachel's phone going off. She saw it was Blaine and excused herself to answer it.

He had until the end of her phone call to figure out how to dodge telling the story of Teagan. No way was he ready to divulge that secret. There were only a handful of people who knew about that and none of them lived on the East coast, not even Puck knew and Puck knew almost everything.

"Sorry about that. Blaine was just concerned since he hadn't heard from me all day. Wanted to know how my appointment went."

"Well, if you want to go home and talk to him we can always finish our talk another day."

"No, I want to hear this story. It sounds like a juicy one. Continue please."

Finn knew it was wrong, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. So he put his own acting skills to use and lied. "I came home to visit my family and met a girl here. Since L.A. wasn't working out for me, I just stayed here and went back to school. I got a business degree and figured I'd open a restaurant."

"You just thought you'd open one on a whim? And what happened to the girl? And how does Santana fit into all of this?"

"Like I said, I like to eat. If there's one thing I've always been passionate about, it's food. I used some money my dad left me for the initial investment and Puck was my business partner, because he had always wanted to own a bar, and it just grew from there. As for the girl, our relationship failed and I kinda just didn't go out with anyone seriously again until Lily. I just didn't want to waste my time with girls I knew wouldn't last beyond a night." Rachel's face fell and Finn instantly understood how that came out. "Not that you fall into that category. I think this whole pregnancy thing happened for a reason. That we're supposed to be friends."

Rachel smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, friends."

Wanting to move on so he wouldn't say anything stupid, he explained the Santana of it all. "As far as becoming friends with Santana, she and Puck never stopped being friends. I kinda had to put up with her because they hung out all the time. Eventually I just stopped being angry at her and got over it. She was happy with Brittany and it wouldn't have been fair to either of us to stay in that relationship." Finn snorted humorously. "Her friendship with Puck is why Quinn still kinda hates Santana. She and Puck used to sleep together in high school and were actually sleeping together when Quinn got pregnant. Quinn always thought they might have had a fling going while she was at Yale and Beth saw Santana way more than Quinn and she started calling her mommy. It's bugged her ever since." Finn paused and took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. "What about you? We got through high school. What about your college years?"

"I had a pretty average college experience…minus the partying. That was never really my scene. I had to protect my vocal cords and keep my grades up so I couldn't party. I was so determined to make it to Broadway, that was in the forefront of my mind whenever making a decision. So my social life slid. I didn't have many friends since everyone was competition at NYADA and what friends I did have from high school were at other colleges around the country. But it was all worth it if I could get to my goal."

"You were in some shows though, so you made it, right?"

"The shows I was in were great experiences, but I want more. I want to be on the big stage in front of thousands and nominated for Tony's. I want people to know my name. I want all the hard work I put in to be acknowledged. I don't want to be a bartender. I'm an actress and I want to share my talent with the world." Her enthusiasm subsided. "I doubt that will happen now though."

"Why not?"

"I won't have time to audition anymore, much less rehearsing and performing, while trying to raise a baby. I need to get real about life and get my head out of the clouds."

"You shouldn't give up on your dream, Rachel. You aren't a single parent and you've proven you're talented enough to get a job. You just need to keep trying."

"It just seemed so much easier when I was younger. My entire life was ahead of me."

Finn leaned closer to her, their faces very near one another. "You're twenty-two, not eighty-two. You still have plenty of life to live, Rachel. Don't give up yet."

Rachel's eyes fell to Finn's lips and he licked them as he stared at her deep brown irises, preparing himself for what came next before withdrawing and sitting up straight. He grabbed his glass off the coffee table and took a deep drink while Rachel tucked her hair behind her ear and turned to face forward. Finn was going to kiss her but then he remembered that they needed to remain friends only. He couldn't complicate things with his feelings.

"I should probably get going. I'm starting to get tired."

"Yeah, I've heard pregnancy can do that."

Finn's phone started ringing breaking the tension that had descended upon them. Without checking the caller ID he quickly answered the phone.

"_Finally. I've called you a dozen times since Friday. What happened with Rachel?_" his mother's voice called through the speaker. Finn should have looked at the caller ID. He had been avoiding his family until he could come up with a good way to tell them he and Rachel were having a baby.

"Hey Mom, um, can I maybe call you back."

"_No. I want to talk now. Did you and Rachel make up?_"

Rachel moved closer. "I'm going to go. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Finn removed the phone from his ear. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, Rachel."

"_Rachel? Are you with Rachel now? You did make up?_"

He groaned and threw his head back. His mother would continue to harp until he replied with the answer she wanted. "Yeah, she's here."

"_Great. Put her on the phone._"

"Mom, I'm not putting her on the phone. She's leaving."

"_Alright. Just tell her I insist she come to family dinner on Friday and I won't take no as an answer._"

"I'm not sure if that would be a great idea, Mom. We're still trying to work things out and I don't want to overwhelm her."

"_Sweetheart, if she wasn't overwhelmed at Santana's wedding I think she'll be fine at a family dinner._"

"There were a lot of people between you and Rachel there."

"_Finn. I'm asking for a chance to get to know the girl you like better. She's the first girl you've brought home since Santana. Please just ask if she would like to come. Just for one dinner."_

Feeling guilty, Finn relented. "Okay, Mom. I'll ask her. I'm hanging up now. We'll talk tomorrow. Bye Mom." He hung up his phone and shook his head.

He noticed Rachel was still hanging around. "What did your mom want to talk to me about?"

"She wanted to invite you to family dinner on Friday. Do you think that would be a good idea?"

Rachel thought about it. Eventually his family, as well as her family, was going to have to learn about the baby. The sooner they found out the better so it would come as less of a shock and surprise.

"I think it would. It would be better for us to tell them I'm pregnant together and before my bump makes it obvious. We're going to have to tell them eventually and this gives us a perfect opportunity."

"You're sure you want to do this?"

Rachel nodded firmly. "If you're going to be by my side through all of this, I should be by yours too. We'll tell our families together."

"You want me there when you tell your dads?" Finn gulped nervously. One dad was bad enough; he couldn't imagine telling two that he knocked up their daughter.

"They won't bite, I promise. They've yet to kill any of my gentlemen callers."

"None of those guys got you pregnant."

"They wouldn't kill their grandchild's father. Don't worry too much." She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her purse. "I really should get going. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll ride home with you. I want to make sure you get there safely."

She waved him off. "That's not necessary. I'll be fine. I've been handling the streets of Manhattan without you for years."

"Humor me."

Rachel sighed dramatically. "If you insist."

When they got settled in a cab downstairs, Rachel turned to Finn to ask a serious question. "Are you going to tell your parents the truth about us? That we weren't really dating?"

"Do I have to?"

Rachel looked disapprovingly at him. "Do you really want to continue the lies? They've gotten us into enough trouble already."

Finn hesitated. "Maybe you're right. They're gonna be pissed at me."

"They're your family. I'm sure they'll understand. But yeah, they might be upset at first. I'm still upset with you."

"I thought we were making progress?" he protested.

Rachel gave him a coy smile. "We've improved, but it's still going to take some time for me to fully forgive you. I'm still not sure if I can trust you."

Finn gritted his teeth in frustration. He wanted to tell her he could be trusted but he knew he would have to use more than words to prove that to her.

"Perhaps you'll prove I can," Rachel concluded.

They pulled up outside Rachel's building and Finn bid her goodnight as she slipped out of the cab. He waited until Rachel was inside the building and waved goodbye before telling the cabbie to take him back home.

When Rachel made it upstairs, she found Blaine in the living room on his computer. "Hey, how was your appointment?" he greeted. "I take it it went well since you spent all night with Finn."

"It was good. Very informative. Did you want to see her?" Rachel rushed around the side of the couch and pulled the ultrasound pictures out of her purse as she sat down close to Blaine. She handed over the pictures and started pointing out the parts of her baby. "See, there's her little head and her body and here's her leg."

"Wow, that's really clear."

"She's definitely mommy's little girl. Look at that pose! She's showing off her stellar form just like I did in all my ultrasounds."

"Is it a girl?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure yet. She's still a little too small to tell but I have a feeling that it's a girl."

"That's really cool, Rachel." He handed the pictures back to her and sat up straighter. "What about Finn? How's he feeling about all of this?"

"He seems pretty excited about everything."

"That's good, right?"

Rachel tilted her head back to rest against the couch. "Sure, he's excited now, but what happens when it all becomes real? When we have an actual baby to take care of? I want to trust that he's serious about being a dad, but it's going to take more than showing up to OB appointments to prove that."

"The only way he's going to be able to prove it is if you give him the opportunity, Rachel."

"I know that. I'm going to let him be there but I just don't want my decision to come back to hurt me and our little girl." Blaine nodded in understanding. "I'll let you get back to your computer. I'm going to bed now."

"Okay. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your appointment."

"It's okay. It's better that Finn showed up. Goodnight, Blaine."

"Night."

As Rachel drifted off to sleep that night, she tried to think positively about her new friendship with Finn. Maybe it would be better for everyone like this. She didn't want Finn to be in a romantic relationship with her just because she was having his baby. If he wanted to be with her, she wanted it to be because he actually had real feelings for her, not out of guilt or pity.

At least this way she wouldn't have the added stress of trying to force and maintain a relationship. They could just have a nice, easy friendship. She hoped, anyway.

* * *

A lot of talking and getting to know each other in this chapter, I know. They needed to build some bridges to get over their troubled waters, but there are still plenty of obstacles for them to overcome.

And fun fact, Cory Monteith actually was a cheerleader in a commercial for the lottery up in Canada. YouTube it if you haven't seen it, or even if you have.


	7. The Parents Part I

I do apologize profusely for the delay in updates. I was in a slump then I wrote and rewrote this chapter a few times until I finally got an end result I was happy with. Thank you for your patience and I promise I will try to keep them coming faster from here on out.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to come with? Carole invited you to dinner too as it is a family dinner," Rachel asked Blaine as she put her earrings on, getting ready for Finn's arrival.

"While I love a good drama, I'm not sure I want to be around when the lid pops off this particular can of worms. Plus, I have to meet with my group to rehearse."

"If you're sure. You should really meet his family at some point. They're really quite nice and Finn's brother is single."

"So you've mentioned. Doesn't change the fact I have to meet with my group. If I want to graduate, I have to pass my classes."

Rachel sighed dramatically. "Fine, leave me on my own."

"You won't be on your own. Finn will be there. And these days you're never _really_ alone." Rachel rolled her eyes and he chuckled at her as she walked back toward her bedroom.

She had been confident that family dinner would be the best time to tell Finn's family their news but as the event got closer and closer, her adrenaline built up making her nervous as hell. Finn's family had really liked her, she and Kurt bonded over their mutual love of Broadway and had exchanged texts and calls a few times since Santana's wedding, his mother had thought she was a doll, and Burt had seemed to like her well enough. But now she was terrified that they would hate her for lying to them about being Finn's girlfriend and then having his baby without being married to him or even knowing him beyond being her employer.

The only thing that made her more nervous was telling her own fathers. She had called them a few days prior and asked if she could possibly come to dinner on Sunday with a friend. Only days earlier, Rachel had told Finn not to worry about her fathers killing him but in all reality, if they were going to kill anyone, it was going to be her. They had raised her to be smart about sex, were always very open about discussing it when she needed advice, and made sure she was taught about all forms of birth control. They would be disappointed to find out that she had forgone all that knowledge in a moment of lust and stupidity. Not to mention their conservative values on marriage and family. Just because they were a gay couple and more liberal about marriage laws that didn't mean they were particularly fond of pregnancy out of wedlock. They wanted Rachel to be married and committed to one person that she loved before starting a family and definitely to have a better hold on her career to care for that family. She hoped they could forgive her for her poor judgment.

Pushing thoughts of her fathers and their reactions out of her mind and trying to calm her senses, Rachel buzzed her lips and warmed up her vocal cords with a few scales before beginning to sing some Barbra. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a cute cardigan to wear over her dress and as she put it on, checked her appearance in her full length mirror. She turned to the side and smoothed her billowy dress down over her stomach. Her belly was still relatively flat and honestly, she just looked slightly bloated. A much more noticeable change were her breasts. They hadn't grown so much that she needed new bras yet, but the cups were definitely fuller. She couldn't say that was necessarily a bad thing but the tenderness was certainly a downside.

Wondering what she would look like as her stomach grew Rachel stuck her hips out and smoothed her dress over her stomach. It just looked like she was sticking her stomach out. Grabbing a pillow off her bed, Rachel stuffed it under her dress and adjusted it to make it look like a real pregnant belly. She turned in various directions, rubbing the bump and trying to imagine what it would feel like when it was real. Unfortunately, her musings were cut short.

"Rachel, Finn is…here," Blaine said as he opened the door and caught Rachel viewing her 'pregnant' belly in her mirror. She turned red and dropped the pillow, kicking it toward her bed. "Practicing for the real thing?"

"I was merely curious as to what I would look like when my bump grows. You said Finn is here?" she asked, moving on from getting caught. Blaine nodded and Rachel slipped her heels on and grabbed her purse. "Call if you need anything. Have fun with your group and I will see you when I get home."

"You know, if you want to stay over at Finn's…" he teased, waggling his eyebrows.

Rachel was not amused. "I'm coming home tonight. I'll see you later." She exited her room leaving Blaine behind.

"But if you change your mind…" he called after her.

She glanced over her shoulder at him as she opened the door. "I won't," she sang back.

When she made it downstairs, Finn was waiting just outside a cab for her like he had the day of Santana's wedding. He grinned at her and pushed off the side of the car.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hello."

"You look really great."

"Thank you. You do as well." He wore a pair of fitted dark wash jeans and a simple black polo. Very crisp yet casual. Finn opened the door and helped Rachel into the cab before moving to the other side to get in.

He strapped in and adjusted himself before turning to Rachel with a cautious smile. "I don't know about you but I'm scared as hell about dinner."

"You're really instilling me with a lot of confidence right now," Rachel sarcastically replied. "Your parents seemed really nice. They love you and I don't think they'll disown you for this."

"They may not disown me but I doubt they'll be happy."

Rachel thought about her dads again. She severely hoped that at least one set of parents wouldn't be too harsh and judgmental about this whole situation. "I think if we just tell them the truth and apologize for deceiving them we'll be fine."

"I hope you're right."

The drive from Rachel's apartment in the East Village up to the Upper East Side where Finn's parents lived seemed to take an astronomically large amount of time. Whether it was real hindrances like traffic or construction, or imagined ones such as nerves or an overactive imagination, the thirty minute drive seemed more like three hours and Rachel was growing impatient. She wanted to get this dinner over with and move on with her life to begin preparing for motherhood.

When they finally pulled up in front of the building on Park Avenue, Rachel's mouth fell open at the location. "If your parents live here, why do you live in a one bedroom loft in NoHo?"

"Because unlike Burt, I'm not rich. My restaurant makes fairly good money, but not as much as a country-wide auto shop empire and a Congressman's salary combined."

Finn led Rachel to the door where they were greeted by George the doorman. He seemed astonished to see a woman accompanying Finn for the first time in nearly ten years.

"Hello Mr. Hudson," he tipped his hat and opened the glass door for them.

"George," he returned. The doorman watched them walk to the elevator in minor fascination until they stepped inside and Finn dug out his key card, slipping it into the card slot and hitting the button for his floor.

"Are we on an episode of _Gossip Girl_?"

"What?"

"Serena and Blair's buildings have elevators directly to their condos as well."

"I wouldn't know as I'm a dude and never watched that show. I will say that Rolling Stone cover where they shared the ice cream cone was pretty hot though. I am a fan of hot girls sharing things."

Rachel's face hardened and she crossed her arms over her middle, careful to avoid her sore chest. "You are such a guy."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!"

She rolled her eyes at him but as the elevator dinged with their arrival, Rachel dropped her attitude and put on a happy face. It was of the utmost importance that she make a good impression yet again, perhaps an even better one this time as their news for the night was rather jarring.

As they stepped off the elevator, Finn was surprised to hear the sound of music playing and more than just his mother and Burt's voices coming from the living room.

"I thought it was just us and your parents tonight?" Rachel asked, staring up at him with her brow drawn and a confused, yet adorable, pout on her face.

"It was," he growled back. When he heard the group of people laugh down the hallway, Finn's heart began to beat wildly in his chest. It sounded like not only Kurt was back from L.A. this weekend, but Santana, Brittany, Puck, Quinn and their kids as well were waiting in the living room.

Finn started walking down the hall, ready to demand what was going on, but Rachel grabbed his hand and tugged him back. "Finn, I can't do this! Not now! I don't want everyone to know yet," she replied in hushed panic.

He licked his lips and nodded in agreement even though Puck and Quinn already knew. "Right. We'll wait until we can get my mom and Burt alone. Just…act natural until we can."

"Did you know about everyone being here?"

"No, I swear. I thought it was just going to be us and my parents. You think I'd let them ambush us a with a party on the night we were going to tell them you're pre-"

Rachel quickly covered his mouth with her hand and shushed him as quietly as she could. "Do you want to announce it a little louder, Finn?!" she hissed.

"Right, sorry." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm just a little off guard right now."

"You're off guard?! I've spent days on exercises to prepare myself for familial dinner only to be blindsided by your friends being in attendance as well. I may be an exceptional actress and I can handle this with poise and grace, but my improvisational skills are not nearly as honed as my rehearsed ones."

"Wait, you rehearsed for dinner with my parents?"

"No. I merely played out various scenarios in my head ranging from best case to worst to mentally prepare myself for anything. I did not however prepare for a roomful of people as I believed it would only be the four of us."

"Finn?" a voice called from down the hallway.

Finn and Rachel's heads swiveled toward the living room to see his mother walk into view holding a glass of wine. She beamed and quickly bustled down the hallway to greet them.

"I thought I heard you speaking in hushed tones. What are you doing in the hallway?" she asked as she hugged Finn in greeting and kissed his cheek before doing the same to Rachel.

Finn cleared his throat and stared down at his mother with a stern expression. "We were wondering what the hell all these people are doing here. This was supposed to be family dinner, Mom."

"It is family dinner, Finn, just with a few family friends." She smiled proud of her explanation, and started backing down the hall beckoning them to follow. "Come on, you're the last ones and dinner will be ready shortly."

"Mom," Finn started slowly, taking a step closer to her, "why did you invite my friends to dinner and not tell me? This dinner was kind of a big deal for us."

"I just invited a few friends over since you were so worried that Rachel would be intimidated by a more intimate setting." She looked to Rachel. "I hope you don't mind, dear. I was simply trying to make you comfortable. You seemed to have a great time at Santana's wedding so I invited a similar crowd. The idea just occurred to me last night and I thought it would be a nice surprise to have a little dinner party."

Rachel chewed on her bottom lip as she glanced between Finn and his mother. It was sweet of her to go to such lengths to put her at ease but wholly unnecessary. A crowd was the last thing she wanted at the moment…which was saying something as under usual circumstances Rachel loved being the center of everyone's attention.

Not wanting to seem put off or a party pooper, Rachel plastered on a smile and tried to seem genuine. "Oh, it's not a problem. The more the merrier." She turned to Finn. "Let's go."

Rachel followed Carole down the hall and entered into the large space that was the living room. The room was humongous, very finely decorated, and could easily fit Rachel's entire apartment inside the open and spacious area. She turned back to Finn who looked somewhat sheepish.

"You grew up here?"

"Only after I lived in a five floor walk-up on the Lower West Side for 16 years."

"Everyone, Finn and Rachel have arrived!" Carole called to the group congregated in the living room, holding various conversations. "Everyone, this is Finn's girlfriend, Rachel, which some of you might remember." She placed her hand on Rachel's shoulder and pointed at individuals scattered about. "You remember Kurt, Santana and Brittany, and I'm sure you've met Noah and Quinn from the restaurant, and these are their children, Beth and Ben." Everyone in turn waved in greeting, except Ben who was sucking on a sippy cup and playing with some Little People.

"According to Stella, dinner should be ready shortly. Until then make yourselves at home. I'm going to go find my husband who has mysteriously disappeared during a Yankees game. Imagine that." Carole walked off toward the spiral staircase on the opposite end of the living room calling up for Burt.

"I am so sorry about this Rachel. I swear I had no idea," Finn swore up and down to Rachel who still appeared to be shaken.

"I believe you Finn. I know you really are trying to stay on my good side." He chuckled lightly. "Who is Stella?"

"Oh, that's my mom and Burt's live in maid and chef. They're both always so busy with work and stuff that they need someone to take care of the house and prepare healthy meals so Burt doesn't have another heart attack."

"Wow, you even have your own version of Dorota."

Now Finn was perplexed. "Who is Dorota?"

"Blair's maid on _Gossip Girl_."

Just then an unwanted presence loomed behind Rachel. "'Sup MILF?" Puck greeted. Rachel 'accidentally' stepped on his foot with the spike of her heel in response before turning around and acting surprised as Puck whined.

"Oh, I'm sorry Noah. I didn't see you there. Are you okay?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, portraying a picture of innocence.

"Puck, leave her alone and keep your trap shut. We haven't told anyone yet and we aren't going to until we talk to my parents first."

He put his hands up in defense. "Whatever you say, Daddio. I'm just trying to have some with the fact Little Miss Prude finally gives it up and goes and gets herself pregnant all because you finally decided to ride it bareback." He made an inappropriate thrust and spanking motion while contorting his face in pleasure.

Rachel laughed without humor. "Oh do not even go there. Finn told me all about your first time with Quinn. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

"And women who are ovulating shouldn't have unprotected sex if they don't want a baby. It's a hard learned lesson."

Rachel turned to Finn. "Why exactly are you friends with him?"

"Sometimes I don't know." Finn grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her away from Puck's lewdness to have a more civilized conversation with Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. Or at least as civilized as it could get with Quinn and Santana constantly bickering with each other. Finn would never understand why they bothered trying to converse at all when all it ever ended in was an argument.

They made some small talk to keep their minds off of their news and the entire time Rachel couldn't stop staring at little Ben, her eyes slightly misty. Finn had a feeling he knew why and he just took Rachel's hand in support. She attempted a smile at him when he asked if she was okay, but it didn't reach her eyes and dropped off her soft pink lips quickly.

Less than five minutes later, Carole and Burt came back downstairs and shortly after that, Stella informed the group that dinner was ready.

Finn and Rachel stood and she started following everyone to the dining room until Finn tugged her back. "Are you sure you're okay? If you want to leave, we can leave."

Rachel vehemently shook her head no. "That would be rude to skip out on the lovely dinner Stella prepared for us. The party idea may have been way off base, but it was sweet of your mother to try to consider my feelings. I don't want to show poor manners and ditch her."

"If you're sure then, I guess, it's time to do what I do best…distract ourselves with food." Rachel giggled in return and he placed his hand on her lower back to lead her toward the dining room where everyone was getting seated. As they walked he tried not to focus on how it felt to touch her again. Even through her clothes it was a sensation unlike anything else.

Finn pulled a chair out for Rachel and helped her get comfortable before taking the seat next to her which happened to be next to Puck. He turned to his best friend and punched him in the shoulder.

"Dude, what the hell?" he howled back.

"Why didn't you tell me my mother invited you to dinner tonight?"

Puck shrugged and started for a roll until Quinn smacked his hand away. He pouted and sank into his chair. "I didn't know until I got home from work and Quinn forced me into a suit. Trust me, I'd much rather be home layin' some pipe than eating dinner with your ugly mug." He caught Quinn glaring at him and knew she'd heard him. Puck shot her a charming smile and she rolled her eyes before turning to Carole to compliment the china.

On Rachel's right side, Kurt was busy laying his napkin out over his lap. "I'm so glad you finally came to family dinner. What did my bonehead brother have to do to convince you to take him back?" He chuckled.

Rachel swallowed thickly and tried to act nonchalant. "We've just talked."

"You talked?" he asked skeptically.

She nodded mutely. "The key to any relationship is communication and that's what Finn and I have been working on this past week."

Kurt snorted and looked thoroughly amused. "That's surprising. Finn isn't exactly known to be articulate and open to sharing."

"He's been quite open with me as of late."

Kurt gave her a knowing smile. "Finn must really like you. Bringing you to the wedding, working on your relationship, bringing you to family dinner…he doesn't act this way for just anyone."

Rachel tried to feel happy about Kurt's assessment of Finn's actions, but she knew they weren't because he had feelings for her. He was sticking around for their baby, not because he wanted a romantic relationship with her. She tilted her head in Finn's direction and saw him in discussion with Puck and felt a pang of longing go through her. If only Finn could feel for her the way she felt for him.

While Rachel's brain knew that remaining friends with Finn was the best course of action for raising their child in a healthy environment due to the situation, her heart felt otherwise. It was normal to want to actually be in love with the person you procreated with and even before they were having a baby, Rachel could feel herself falling deeper for Finn Hudson. It was foolish to believe that he felt the same, but sometimes, Rachel allowed herself to dream. She was sure she was projecting her own feelings into the way Finn sometimes looked at her or touched her. He had made it clear he only wanted to be friends and she just had to accept that.

Dinner started and progressed smoothly from there with topics ranging from Burt's reelection campaign to Kurt's time in L.A. as well as what Santana and Brittany did on their honeymoon in Jamaica. Brittany had informed the table that she had a blast swimming with the 'gay sharks' and earned multiple strange stares.

"We swam with the dolphins," Santana elaborate before taking another bite of cheesecake.

"Dolphins are just gay sharks. Everyone knows that, duh," Brittany added, waving her fork around.

Snickers came from around the table but Brittany remained oblivious to her misinformation on marine biology. Then she changed the subject as it seemed a new thought pierced through the constant fog her brain seemed to exist in.

"So Rachel, Finn, when's your wedding? You caught the bouquet so it must be soon, especially with the baby on the way."

Rachel's fork clattered onto her plate while Finn began choking on his piece of chicken. Puck pounded on his back and the chicken flew out of his mouth and bounced off the French doors leading to the balcony opposite where he was sitting. Carole was concerned as Finn coughed violently, trying to get his breathing under control again, and Rachel had gone green as sweat beaded on her forehead.

"What…what are you talking about?" Finn choked out. He hadn't thought Brittany had overheard their conversation earlier.

Brittany didn't seem fazed at the fact chewed chicken had just flown past her head and continued eating as she spoke. "The baby. Rachel is pregnant, isn't she? She hasn't had a sip of her wine, is avoiding all the cheese and besides, she's glowing. I could tell the moment she came in. It's really obvious." She took another bite of cheesecake. "Plus, she's about to vomit right now."

Sure enough, Rachel's cheeks puffed out and she pressed one hand over her mouth and one over her stomach before jumping up from her seat and running for the kitchen. The room went silent, save for the sounds of Rachel retching in the kitchen the next room over and Stella yelling in German.

Everyone looked at Finn and his mother tilted her head as she tried to comprehend what was happening. "Finn, what…what is going on?" He slammed his eyes shut and released a shuddering breath. "Finn…is Rachel pregnant?"

His breath grew heavier as he pushed out an answer. "Yes." More forks dropped onto plates and Finn finally looked up to see tears in his mother's eyes. Suddenly, everything he was feeling poured out of him in a flood of words. "I am so sorry, Mom. We never meant for this to happen. It was a moment of stupidity and it's all my fault. Please, do not blame Rachel. I asked her to pretend to be my girlfriend for the wedding and it just…happened."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, Finn," Burt interjected, putting his hand out for Finn to stop talking. "What d'you mean you asked Rachel to _pretend_ to be your girlfriend? Is she not really your girlfriend?"

The lump in Finn's throat hurt to swallow around. "No."

"I knew it!" Santana yelled. "I knew you were going to pay someone to come with you."

"He didn't pay me," Rachel's voice announced weakly from the entryway to the dining room. She stood there wringing her hands together, a light sheen of sweat still on her face. "I was doing Finn a favor. He told me that you had misunderstood him and thought he had a girlfriend. He didn't want to disappoint you," she looked at Carole, "so I agreed to be his girlfriend for the night. We got a little carried away with the fantasy and…" She trailed off, unable to explain the rest.

"I guess that explains why Rachel and Finn broke up so soon after the wedding," Kurt added dryly.

"Why did you feel the need to fabricate a relationship, Finn? Why couldn't you just tell us the truth?" Carole pleaded with him, attempting to figure out his reasoning.

He hunched his shoulders and stared at the plate in front of him. "I didn't want to let you down again."

"Great plan, Finn. I can tell you thought this one through too," Burt replied in a snarky tone. "How could you think lying to everyone about having a girlfriend would be a good plan?"

"We wouldn't have been angry if you didn't have a girlfriend, Finn. You wouldn't have disappointed me."

"Yes I would!" he said a little louder and a little harsher than he meant to. He pushed away from the table and stood up. "I've never heard you so excited as when you found out I had a girlfriend. Every family dinner you ask me the same question and I always have the same answer for you and I can see the disappointment in your eyes."

Carole stood too, pressing her palms to the table to steady herself. "I ask you that question because I want to know about your life, Finn. You'll notice I ask about work and your friends and so many other things too. I only want you to be happy and I get disappointed when I see how frustrated you get with this aspect of your life. That doesn't mean I wanted you to pretend to be in a relationship."

"I just wanted you to be happy for one night. I wanted to not feel pathetic and not have everyone judging me because I'm still single for one night. I'm sorry I lied and I'm sorry I messed up and got Rachel pregnant. I'm just…I'm sorry. That's all I can say."

Carole looked at her son with sad eyes before taking a deep breath and seeming to notice everyone else for the first time since Brittany mentioned Rachel's pregnancy. She tried to smile for everyone's benefit and calmed herself enough to speak to them.

"I apologize for the abrupt end but I'm afraid dinner will have to be cut short tonight. Burt and Kurt can see you out," she replied shortly. No one made a sound. "Now please!"

The chairs scraped on the hardwood as everyone got to their feet and headed for the elevator.

"I knew we should have left once Santana got here," Quinn said under her breath to Puck as they stood from the table and grabbed their children. "Somehow she is always connected to drama."

"And miss this? It's like a Greek tragedy and it's actually pretty entertaining when it isn't us." Quinn smacked his arm and he whined before turning to Finn who had fallen against the wall for support. "Dude, it was going to come out eventually." Finn just narrowed his eyes at him. "Okay, it was pretty shitty timing and pretty bad that Brittany beat you to it, but at least it's out in the open now and you can figure your shit out. I'm here if you need me. I've done this twice so I know how to handle a pregnant chick." Finn didn't say anything but did bump Puck's fist when he offered it. "Take care, bro."

Quinn walked up to Rachel then, Beth standing in front of her and Ben in her arms. "I know we don't know each other well, but seeing as you're carrying my husband's best friend's baby, I think we'll be seeing a lot more of each other in the future. If you ever need any advice or help, don't hesitate to call. I've gone through everything you've gone through." She squeezed Rachel's shoulder then took Puck's hand in hers and followed Kurt to the hallway, tilting her head to indicate Beth should follow.

Brittany walked up to Finn then, sheer sympathy in her eyes. "Finn, I am really sorry that I told everyone Rachel is pregnant. I thought they could tell but I guess everyone else doesn't have seven senses like I do."

Finn pondered this. "There are only five…"

"No… Touch, sight, smell, taste, hearing, seeing dead people, and smelling pregnancy. Seven."

Not in a mood to argue the senses with his friend's dimwitted spouse, Finn let it go. "Yeah, I guess not everyone has that last one."

"I am sorry, Finn. But congratulations! Maybe if you're lucky your baby will have a fin and be able to live underwater. Santana says that you're part manatee and your name is Finn so…"

Finn wanted to face palm but instead moved on. "Probably not, but maybe. You should go."

"Okay, I'll see you around, Finn!" She waved at him and turned to link her pinky with Santana's, who had been talking with Rachel.

As they walked away, Finn noticed that Rachel was very pale. "What?"

"Did you really weigh 11 pounds when you were born?" she asked, slightly petrified.

Finn whipped his head around to see Santana giggling to herself. "It was a joke, Lurch. Lighten up."

"Not the time, Santana!" he screamed back at her. He turned back to Rachel and held her shoulders, rubbing them gently to calm her down. "I did not weigh that much. I was only like eight pounds. She's just a bitch and trying to be funny and failing."

Rachel sighed in relief at hearing the truth. There was no way her tiny body could push an 11 pound baby out without something breaking.

Kurt and Burt returned moments later, his step-father calling out to him from the living room. "Finn, get your ass in here. We need to talk about this."

Finn dropped his hands from Rachel's shoulders and began what felt like a death march into the living room. Next to him, Rachel grabbed his hand for support and when they made it to the couch, both plopped down and tried to pretend like three sets of eyes weren't boring into them as his mother sat in the chair across from the couch.

"Just so it's clear, you and Rachel were never actually dating? So everything you told us at Santana's wedding was a lie?" Carole started, trying to capture Finn's attention.

"Not everything," Rachel replied, looking up at Carole. She wanted to set the record straight and begin to make amends. "We tried to be as truthful as possible because we weren't entirely comfortable with lying to you. Really the only thing we stretched was the nature of our relationship. I am so sorry for deceiving you. I was only trying to help out a friend."

"Then you helped him right into bed. Did you even use protection?" Kurt asked with a bitter tone.

"Kurt…" Finn growled at him.

"What? This is obviously not just your fault. You were absolutely wrong faking a relationship, but you're both adults. You should know better."

"Don't blame Rachel. I was the one who started this whole thing. If you want to blame anyone, blame me."

"We aren't blaming anyone," his mother cut in. "You made a mistake. Your decision was highly misguided and regrettable but what's done is done. There is nothing we can do now to fix it so let's stop pointing the finger and figure out what to do from here."

Burt stepped closer to Carole's chair and sat on the arm, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your mother is right. We need to do damage control."

"Damage control?"

"It's an election year, Finn. My opponents and the media love a good scandal. They're going to find a way to spin this to make me look incompetent."

Carole looked incredulously up at her husband. "Is that really all you're concerned with right now? Your career?"

"It's a pretty big deal, Carole. You remember how they tried to use Kurt against me when I first ran."

She pushed herself out of her seat and rounded on him. "Could you just for one minute drop the politician shtick and just be a father. Our son and his gir-Rachel are having a crisis right now and all you can think about is how it will affect your campaign? What happened to family first, no matter the consequences? You navigated the situation with Kurt beautifully all those years ago and I'm sure you will do so again now."

Burt took a deep breath and scratched his bald head before conceding. "You're right. I'm sorry. I've just been in political mode and that was coloring my opinion." He looked to Finn and Rachel. "That doesn't mean I'm happy about this, but…we're family and you need our help. You too, Rachel. Whether you're married to Finn – or even dating him – you're part of this family now if you like it or not." He paused briefly. "But do you think you could try dating? It might make things look a little better for everyone."

"Burt!" Carole chastised.

"What?"

"We've decided to raise her as friends. At this point it seems like starting a relationship would not be beneficial for anyone. Our baby needs a stable environment and there's no guarantee we would work as a couple," Rachel explained. "Neither of us is looking to date at the moment."

Finn nodded in agreement. "We're kinda forced to deal with each other the next 18 years at least and we don't want to start out hating each other if we try dating and it doesn't work out."

Rachel felt her heart break a little more as Finn talked about being 'forced to deal' with her. He made it sound like a fate worse than death. She tried not to let the hurt show on her face however.

"That seems like a good idea. Like Burt said, you're part of this family now whether you like it or not." Carole gave her a weak smile. "I hope you're okay with that."

Rachel looked around at the faces staring back at her. The emotions on them were mixed. Carole was weepy but tried to smile, Burt was stone-faced and hard, while Kurt seemed distant and almost bored. As for Finn, he looked utterly worried. She gripped his hand in hers and smiled at him. Though it wasn't the way she wished, Rachel couldn't say that they weren't a good family to join. They all seemed to care very much about each other and she instinctually knew that the love they had for each other was now extended to her and her unborn child as well.

She bit her bottom lip and nodded her head. "I'm more than okay with that." Tears filled her eyes as she continued, "I'm so sorry for disrupting your lives with this. I can only imagine what you must think of me and I want you to know, I do not normally act so recklessly like I did that night. I just hope you can forgive me."

Carole moved over to the couch and sat next to Rachel pulling her in for a hug. "It's alright, Rachel. We know you didn't mean for this to happen. To tell the truth, I can't be entirely angry. I have always wanted grandchildren and now I'm getting my wish." She chuckled and loosened her hold on Rachel. Then she looked at Finn. "I still think you need to start thinking before doing, but I still love you, Finn. You're my son and I will always love you."

"I really am sorry, Mom."

"I know you are. But enough with the apologies and the sad mood. We all need to stop looking at this as a bad thing. Babies are miracles and we should celebrate the fact we're getting a new little family member."

"Two little family members. Rachel is quite small," Kurt deadpanned making her chuckle lightly.

Carole smirked at him. "So let's dry our eyes and put on some smiles." She took Finn and Rachel's hands in hers. "You're having a baby. This should be exciting! Now…you said 'her'. Am I getting a granddaughter?"

"Um, I'm still a little too early to tell but I just have a feeling we're having a girl." She looked at Finn who had a ghost of a smile on his lips as he stared back at her. "Would you like to see ultrasound pictures? I brought some with."

"Of course!"

After that, the night seemed to improve as everyone accepted Rachel into the family and asked all about her pregnancy. Despite his initial reluctance to be happy for them, Kurt was swayed into excitement when Rachel agreed to let him take her shopping for maternity clothes when she would need them. As for Burt, he was trying to stay angry at Finn for his lying, but his wife's thrill at being a grandparent was beginning to rub off on him. It had been a long time since he had held a baby and couldn't help but think of the payback he was going to get – loading his grandkid up with sugar and sending them home for Finn to deal with just like his mother had done with Kurt. It was good to be a grandparent.

"I just hope you realize that it's a kid, not a toy. You can't just throw it to the side when you're done having fun with it. Being a parent holds a lot of responsibility," he reminded Finn when he mentioned all the cool toys he could play with now without it seeming weird.

"I know that."

"Do you?"

Finn tensed at that. "Burt, I know I've made a lot of stupid decisions in the past, but I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle responsibility. I did make it through college, I live on my own, and I own a successful restaurant."

"Just making sure. You have about seven months to prepare for this. I hope you can be ready."

He nodded in reply and happened to see Rachel's expression. She looked scared and without thinking, Finn put his arm around her shoulders and held her close for comfort. "We will be."

Rachel's heart stammered in her chest at the contact and she felt her body grow warm. She toyed with the hem of her dress and out of nowhere yawned widely. Rachel covered her mouth and tried to stifle a second yawn but failed miserably. When she looked at the time she realized why she was so tired. It was nearing midnight.

"Wow, I didn't realize just how long we've been discussing this."

Everyone else looked at the clock too and started moving to end the night. Carole and Burt walked Finn, Rachel, and Kurt to the elevator and as they waited for it to arrive, they said their goodbyes.

"It's been one interesting night. I promise you, not all family dinners are this drama filled," Carole insisted as she hugged Rachel goodbye.

"Well, in all fairness, it was only drama filled due to my attendance."

Carole waved her off. "No. It was partially my fault. I invited Finn's friends. In hindsight that was probably a bad idea. I'm sure you didn't want the audience for when you told us. I do apologize. If you decide to come back next week I swear it will only be family. I do hope you choose to come back."

"Of course I will come back. You're the only grandma our child has. I want to get to know you and for you to get to know me. I still feel awful about what Finn and I did."

"It's in the past Rachel. Don't beat yourself up about it. What's important now is the future and taking care of that baby. And if you need anything, do not hesitate to call. I am a nurse after all and having a son of my own, I'm very familiar with pregnancy." They hugged once again.

"Thank you, Carole. I really appreciate your support."

Carole released her and moved over to her son who was talking in hushed tones with Burt. "As for you, my son, you better keep your word about taking care of that baby. I raised you to the best of my ability and I expect no less from you with your kids. Got it?" She eyed him critically before her mouth cracked into a grin.

"Trust me, Mom, I will." He leaned down to hug his mom and give her a kiss on the cheek and noticed Rachel genuinely smile at him as he did. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach at how sweet she looked and he wished so much that he could see that smile more. He wished he could be the one to always make her smile. It seemed like most of the time he only made her frown.

When the elevator arrived, Finn followed Rachel inside and Kurt brought up the rear. They waved goodbye to Carole and Burt as the door shut and as soon as it was closed completely, Kurt slapped the back of Finn's head.

"Jesus, Kurt! What the hell?!" he yelled, rubbing the back of his head.

"You are a moron! I didn't say anything before because you and your mother needed to talk first but now it's my turn to say something. The next time you get the brilliant idea to lie to all of us, don't. You may have wanted to give Carole one happy night but do you realize how much of a headache that one night led to? Not just for her, but for everyone! You're having a child with a woman you don't even know now because you couldn't just man up and admit you were still single."

"I know Rachel."

Kurt pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. "Please don't take offense, Rachel," he said, turning to Rachel, "you are a lovely girl and I can't wait to get to know you even better, but this cannot be the way you wanted to join our family…if you even wanted to. After this, I'm surprised you don't absolutely despise Finn."

"W-well, it wasn't entirely Finn's fault. It may have been his idea to fake the relationship but the, uh, afterward was mutual." Her cheeks burned and turned crimson as she explained. In her periphery, she could see Finn shifting awkwardly as well.

The elevator stopped on the first floor and they all stepped out. "I'd prefer not to know the details about how my niece or nephew came to be, thank you." They stepped out to the street and Kurt turned to his brother. "I still think you're an idiot for getting a fake girlfriend then having unprotected sex and knocking her up for real, but I suppose worse things have happened. I'd rather gain two new family members than lose another one, so I can't stay angry. If you need any help, I will be here for you…although I refuse to change diapers. You two just had to have sex so you can deal with the consequences of what comes from that."

Rachel and Finn shared a glance before Kurt sighed and checked his phone. "Well, I must be going. I have a meeting tomorrow then a flight to catch and my pre-bed ritual is already two hours behind. Don't be strangers and now that you two are on good terms again, do not be afraid to call me, Miss Berry. I want to know all about your pregnancy so I can start planning for the little guy or girl." He hugged Rachel and Finn before grabbing a cab and disappearing around the corner at the end of the block.

"I'm really sorry about that dinner. I swear I had no idea that my mom was inviting my friends and if I had, I would have put a stop to it before it could happen."

"Really, it's fine, Finn. I'm honestly sick of hearing the word 'sorry'. Believe it or not, I have been in more humiliating situations before. I'm just glad the air has been cleared with your parents so they no longer expect anything serious between us. It would be really tense and strange to fake a relationship for the rest of our lives." Rachel chuckled darkly and Finn grimaced slightly. "We can only hope that dinner with my dads will go as swimmingly."

"As swimmingly as that?" Finn scoffed. "What part of that was swimming?"

"The part where your parents didn't disown you and pledged their support and help if it were ever needed."

"Your parents would disown you?"

"They may not disown me, but they certainly will not be as nice about all of this as Burt and Carole. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how they will react. I'm sure they won't kill anyone, I was serious about that, but they're stern men. If you believe in a higher power, I'd suggest praying to it before we get into New Jersey," Rachel explained matter-of-factly. She yawned widely and swayed on her feet as exhaustion began to hit her like a Mac truck. Finn caught her and kept her upright.

"Let's get you home and into bed, alright?"

Rachel smiled sleepily at him. "That sounds good."

They shared a taxi back home and Rachel ended up falling asleep on Finn's shoulder, her hand finding its way into his. Despite the turmoil he knew plagued her waking thoughts, in her sleep Rachel looked peaceful and at ease. She was a sleeping beauty and he could hear his heart hammering in his ears from their proximity. His feelings for the tiny woman with the big personality were growing with each moment he spent with her.

Also growing at that very moment was the little life he helped create. The prospect of fatherhood was still absolutely daunting and frightening, but at the same time, amazing and mind blowing. He was going to be a dad. A little boy or girl was going to look up to him and depend on him. The task was heavy and having been denied the opportunity to be a son to his own father, Finn wondered if he could really be a good dad.

Emotions flooding him, Finn had the intense urge to slide his hand onto Rachel's stomach to connect with his unborn baby. He knew it was fairly inappropriate as it was Rachel's body and she was asleep and they weren't together, but he wanted some way to express that he loved his child. Despite only knowing about him for a week and reacting poorly initially, he really did already love him.

His hand hovered an inch from her tiny bump when he couldn't bring himself to touch her without permission. Rachel was still fairly apprehensive about him being in her life and he didn't want to make her unsure of her decision to let him in by feeling her up while she was most vulnerable. Perhaps if he asked permission she would allow him a few brief seconds. Finn sighed and instead kissed the top of her head lightly and put his hand back in his lap.

Shortly afterwards, the cab was pulling up outside Rachel's apartment and Rachel was stirring. She was quite groggy from her little nap but when she realized where she was, became alert, wiping drool off the corner of her mouth and praying none had seeped onto Finn's shirt.

"Well, I guess I will see you at work tomorrow," she bid farewell. "I can't say dinner as a whole was better than I expected, but I'm glad your parents are okay with all of this."

Finn nodded along in accord. "Let me walk you upstairs."

"Finn, you don't really need to do that."

"I want to make sure you get in safely."

Rachel huffed indignantly. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't take care of myself."

"I know. Blaine told me about your fight club."

"I highly doubt that as the first rule of fight club is 'don't talk about fight club' and secondly, I'm not in a fight club. I merely spar with Blaine to keep my reflexes up so I can handle any scum in this city that may try to attack me. I'm more than capable of walking across the street and going up three flights of stairs by myself."

Finn smiled at her tenacity but handed the driver what they owed and got out of the cab without arguing further. Rachel joined him on the sidewalk seconds later, a minor scowl on her face.

"I don't know whether I should be appalled by your chauvinistic attitude that just because I'm a woman I cannot take care of myself or flattered at your chivalry of seeing me safely home." She followed Finn as he began walking them across the street.

He smirked at her cockily. "I'd go with the second one. Chivalry is a good thing, right? And besides, I don't think that just because you're a woman you can't take care of yourself. You're my friend and carrying my baby and I want to make sure you both stay safe. We're connected now and I'm invested in you whether you want me to be or not. That's just how it is. I'm always going to care about you," he replied sincerely.

Rachel's wall against Finn began crumbling just a little more and her hard expression softened to reveal a tiny smile on the corner of her lips.

"You care about me?" she asked quietly, her eyes flickering from Finn's face down to her hands. She sounded surprised to hear it.

Finn took her hand and stopped her before she could open the door. "Of course I care about you, Rachel. I know this whole situation is fucked up, but…" Rachel's face was blank as he spoke and it made him realize he was treading into dangerous territory. He caged the urge to tell her how he really felt and instead dropped the subject. "Let's get inside. It's kinda chilly out here and you look tired."

Rachel mashed her lips together and nodded in agreement, unlocking the door and rushing inside. When they made it up to her apartment, Rachel turned to him and tried to seem happy but he could tell something was off.

"As per your request, you have seen me home safely. Unless you want to tuck me into bed, you're free to go."

Finn felt his pants tighten at the suggestion. "That's what got us here in the first place," he said through a chuckle, trying to play it off.

"Well, we don't want to get into more trouble so you should probably go. Are you sure you can make it home by yourself or do I need to have Blaine escort you?" she teased, giggling at him.

"If you're that concerned we could always have a sleepover. If we do each other's nails though, I have to have pink. It's the best shade for my skin tone."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Goodnight, Finn. I will see you at work tomorrow."

Finn grinned at her. "Goodnight, Rachel." He backed away as Rachel unlocked her door and just as she was about to shut it, Finn remembered what he had wanted to ask her earlier. "Hey Rachel! Hold up."

The door creaked open slightly. "Yes?"

"Could I ask for a somewhat odd favor?" Rachel's brow creased in wonder.

"Depends on the favor."

Finn cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Could I…would it be weird to ask to touch your stomach?" Her eyes widened in fear and he quickly explained himself. "It's just…as a dude, I don't really get to bond with the kid until after he's born but I want to have some connection before then. I thought maybe getting to feel your bump would somehow give me that. I'm not trying to be creepy or feel you up or anything." _Even though I'd really love to feel you up again and do a whole lot more_ he added to himself.

Rachel looked concerned by his request as she chewed on her lip and her eyebrows dipped together. "Honestly Finn, you aren't going to really feel anything. She's much too small yet."

"I know that. I just thought…you know, if it makes you uncomfortable don't worry about it. I don't want you to feel awkward or anything. I'll just…I'll see you at work tomorrow." He waved goodbye lamely and turned to head back to the stairs.

"Wait, Finn," Rachel called after him. "Come here."

He hesitantly walked back to Rachel, unsure what was up her sleeve. She put her hand out for him to take and as they touched, his pulse quickened and his brain started to go hazy. It got even worse when Rachel placed his hand over her lower abdomen.

"Like I said, it's not much different from usual yet. Some women begin to show this early but I guess I'm not really one of them."

Finn laughed nervously. "That's kinda surprising since you're so small and chances are any kid of mine will be huge…but not like, scary huge," he added, remembering her earlier anxiety over his weight at birth. "How big were you when you were born?"

"I was six pounds, ten ounces and nineteen inches long. I've always been tiny despite my parents being average or above average in height. I hope our son or daughter does not inherit my short genes. Life can be tough when you can't reach the top shelf."

"Being tall has disadvantages too. I always hit my head and I know a lot of people would say it has caused some brain damage." He chuckled self-deprecatingly and could feel Rachel's belly move as she giggled along with him. Feeling her tummy through her dress, it didn't seem any different than any non-pregnant woman's body. If he didn't know better, Finn would never believe Rachel was actually pregnant, but just a few inches away was his son or daughter and it was pretty incredible.

"I should really get to bed. Today has been rather trying and I'm rather exhausted."

"Right." Finn removed his hand from Rachel's body and could feel tingles in his fingertips. "Thanks for doing me that favor."

"Did it help?"

He nodded lightly. "It did. I didn't feel him the way you will, obviously, but knowing he's in there and being that close…it kinda makes it more real, y'know?"

"I could see that."

"If you wouldn't mind, with your permission of course, maybe I could do that again every so often. I want to get to know our kid." Finn found himself gravitating closer to her.

Rachel swallowed noticeably and her mouth fell open, her tongue swiping along her bottom lip to wet it. "Well she is half yours so I don't see that being a problem. Anytime…just ask." Her temperature was rising and her heart was thrumming heavily in her chest as Finn seemed to get closer with each passing second. Her mind was swimming and her gaze fell upon Finn's lips. His tongue poked out to wet them and she could feel a throb down below as she thought about his tongue licking something else. But then their heavy silence was broken as footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.

They both turned their attention to it and Finn took a quick step back as Blaine came into view. "Hey Finn, Rachel. Is there a hallway party I wasn't invited to?" he asked as they were both standing in a very charged atmosphere in the hall. He could almost smell the sexual tension.

"I was just dropping Rachel off and saying goodnight." He turned back to Rachel. "Goodnight, again. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, Finn." Rachel waved goodbye and watched Finn walk down the stairs before stepping into the apartment, Blaine on her heels.

"I wasn't interrupting a booty call, was I? Because I have no problem putting on my noise cancelling headphones for the night."

Rachel shoved her cousin and he fell over the back of the couch to come up laughing raucously on the other side. "I did, didn't I?!" She stormed down the hallway ignoring him. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to have sex with the father of your baby. If he played for my team, I'd climb that tall hard body like a tree," he called after her. "Sexual favors are a great way to earn forgiveness!" The door slammed hard, rattling the pictures hanging on the walls, and Blaine sighed to himself.

He knew Finn and Rachel liked each other and it would only be a matter of time until they acted upon their feelings again. If he hadn't walked in on them in the hallway, he was pretty sure he would have heard them reenacting Santana's wedding night in Rachel's room.

Inside Rachel's room, she was pacing around, shaking out her limbs and buzzing her lips to calm herself down as she readied herself for bed. She was aroused and embarrassed and highly confused about Finn's behavior. He had made it seem like all he wanted was to be her friend and had told his parents as much even, yet multiple times now, it seemed like he had been close to kissing her.

Was he really just interested in friendship or did he actually want more? If he did want more why didn't he ever mention it? Why make her believe he didn't want her that way? Or was she projecting still like she had initially thought? It was all so puzzling and infuriating.

Feeling overwhelmed with the situation, Rachel collapsed onto her bed and stared at her ceiling. It had been an emotional day and it was only going to get worse on Sunday when she told her dads about her pregnancy.

Rachel just sent up a silent prayer that everything would work out in the end before allowing sleep to overtake her.

* * *

I have a feeling this fic is going to be a long one.


	8. The Parents Part II

If I could give all you readers a fresh baked cookie and a giant hug, I would. You're all amazing and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for every review, favorite, and follow. You're seriously the best and you all keep me so motivated to write. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

* * *

"I'm going to die today," Finn lamented as he sat at the bar talking with Puck who was acting as bartender that Sunday afternoon.

"I thought I had it bad with Quinn's dad. You've got two that will want to kick your ass."

Finn glared at Puck's unhelpful commentary. "I hate you."

"Don't get mad at me because you and Berry fucked up fucking. This is your own damn fault."

"Yeah, I know. But as my best friend I would think you could possibly give me a pep talk or a confidence boost or something to make me feel better about this," Finn whined, dropping his head onto his folded arms on the counter.

Puck shrugged and leaned on the bar. "I could do that…but it's way more fun watching you piss yourself in fear."

"I fucking hate you."

"Love you too, man." Puck patted Finn on the shoulder only to be swatted away. "So what time is this sure to be train wreck of a dinner with the Berrys?"

"We have to leave around five to get to Newark on time. Neither of us have a car, so it's going to take about an hour."

"Well, that gives you about," Puck looked at his watch, "four and a half hours to get your last will and testament updated and I'd suggest having sex with Berry one more time because they're probably going to lob off your family jewels too. At least I would if it were my daughter. Also, I want the restaurant after you die." Finn flipped him off and Puck guffawed heavily. "Dude, you know I'm just messing with you. I'm sure it'll be cool."

"Oh really?" Finn accused, picking his head up and staring wide eyed at his friend, "were you cool when you and Quinn told her parents she was pregnant? I'm pretty sure Quinn's dad kicked her out and she had to live with you for nearly a year until her mom divorced her dad. I really don't want to be the reason Rachel's relationship with her parents is ripped to shreds."

"Russell Fabray is a fucking douchebag. Quinn is better off without that hypocritical asswipe in her life. If Rachel's dads disown her because she's a fucking adult with a sex life, then they're the ones who are messed up and Rachel's probably better off without them too. Finn, you and Rachel are grown ass adults. She's 22 and you're 26 and if her parents are shocked that she's having sex, then they're naïve and need to be schooled in reality. Rachel is a hot piece of ass and if her personality weren't so grating, she'd probably have even more dudes begging for her number than usual."

"That's not so much the part that worries me."

"Then what the fuck has you all mopey?"

"I'm worried about how they'll react to _me_. Rachel and I aren't dating. We weren't dating when she got pregnant. As much as I want to date her, it isn't going to happen. I'm just afraid of how they're going to take the news about Rachel having a baby with a stranger. I'm afraid that they're going to do something drastic because of this. Rachel has to get her flair for the dramatic from someone. This is life altering and I'm just scared that they are not going to be as supportive about this as my parents are."

"Going from personal experience, they may hate you for the rest of their lives, but if they love Rachel, they won't give up on her when she needs them most. Judy never wanted to give up on Quinn; she was just terrified of what Russell would do. Once she got wise and kicked his ass out, she was there for Quinn. She still hates my guts but she tolerates me because she knows Quinn loves me."

"I guess. I'm just nervous about tonight. I want her dads to like me, but I know they won't and I don't want them to blame Rachel for this either." Finn took a deep breath and looked at the time on his phone. "Well, dude, I'm heading out. Rachel wanted me to stop by to prepare for dinner. She's refusing to be caught off guard again."

"Will Cousin Blaine be home?" Puck asked with a knowing tone.

"I don't know but it doesn't matter because I'm not having sex with Rachel."

"Dude, it's pretty obvious that you and Rachel are into each other. With all the eye-fucking going on here at work I'm surprised Rachel isn't having twins."

"I think you're crazy. Rachel doesn't like me…at least not that way."

Puck made a face at him. "I think you need to get your eyes checked because even the blind could see that she's nuts about you."

"Whatever, dude. I gotta go." He put his fist out for a bump and departed the restaurant in the direction of Rachel's apartment.

When he arrived, Finn was surprised when Rachel answered the door wearing only a robe.

"Hey, you're really early," she greeted a little uneasily, gripping her robe tighter as she let Finn into the apartment and closed the door behind her.

"You said to be on time."

"I said to arrive around two. It isn't even one-thirty yet."

Finn shrugged. "I was done at the restaurant so I thought I'd just stop by now. I can just wait in the living room for you."

"Um, okay. The remote is on the table if you want to watch some television to occupy yourself. And there's iced tea in the fridge if you'd like something to drink. Just make yourself at home." Rachel smiled at him before backing down the hall to go into her room.

Finn plopped himself down on the couch and flicked on the TV. He channel surfed for a while and grabbed a glass of iced tea and when it neared an hour waiting for Rachel, Finn developed the urge to pee.

He pulled his phone out as it vibrated with a new text as he walked down the hall to the bathroom. Not paying attention as he texted Puck back telling him he was _not_ going to be having sex with Rachel to relax them both, Finn opened the bathroom door and walked into the bathroom, bumping into a dewy solid mass.

Finn looked up from his phone and found Rachel standing in front of him with wide eyes and nothing but droplets of water coating her skin. He wanted to move, to close his eyes or turn away or walk out, do anything to end the situation, but all he was able to do was stare. Though he had seen Rachel naked before, it was through the filter of darkness and booze and the memory was hazy in his mind's eye. But now…she was displayed before him like a statue of a Greek goddess – her breasts round and dark nipples taught, beads of moisture sliding down the valley between her breasts to the gentle curve of her growing bump, the apex of her thighs where a tiny patch of dark hair rested, her long slender legs stemming down to hold her up.

Finn was fairly sure he had just died and gone to heaven.

That was until a scream tore through his rapture and the repeated slaps to his chest forced him back to reality and back into motion.

"Oh my God, Rachel, I am so sorry! I thought you were in your room!" he tried to explain, finally turning away and being shoved through the door, turning around again in time to see it slam shut in his face. "I'm sorry, Rachel!" He didn't get a reply. "I really didn't mean to walk in on you."

Seconds later, the door flew open and Finn nearly fell forward with the force. Rachel was pissed off as she held a towel around her body and glared at him. She didn't say anything as she pushed him out of the way and stomped into her room, slamming the door behind her with such force a picture fell off the wall and the glass inside the frame broke.

Knowing it was his fault, Finn cleaned up the broken glass so Rachel wouldn't accidentally step on it, then went to the bathroom before sitting back in the living room blankly staring at the TV.

"I didn't take you as a _Keeping Up With the Kardashians_ fan," Rachel said from behind Finn, startling him about a forty-five minutes later. He hadn't even been paying attention to what was flashing on the screen. All he could see in his head was the wet naked body of the woman he had been fantasizing about for months. He turned around and saw Rachel clothed in yet another very Rachel Berry spring dress that easily concealed the tiny bump she was sporting. Just knowing what was underneath made his pulse race.

"It's uh, it's not. I was just channel surfing," he replied lamely.

Rachel moved around the side of the couch and sat herself down on the opposite end. They sat in charged silence and Finn tried not to stare but he couldn't help but notice how smooth her calves were as she brought them up to tuck under her thighs. He felt a pull to reach out and touch her but when Rachel turned to look at him he sat back and tried not to look guilty.

"Do you have any questions about my dads? We haven't really spoken much about them besides the basics."

Finn swallowed thickly. Was she just not going to acknowledge that he had seen her naked? "Um, do you wanna talk about what just happened?"

"If I did, I would have said something, so no, I do not want to talk about what happened. I want to forget about it." Rachel turned her head back to the television. "Besides, it's nothing you haven't seen before. You said that yourself."

"Still…"

"Please, just drop it. Now, any questions pertinent to our upcoming evening with my parents?"

Realizing she wouldn't talk about it further, Finn asked about her dads like she wanted. "Um, well, what do your dads do exactly? You've never really said."

"Well, my Papa, Hiram, is a lawyer and a professor at Rutgers. My Daddy runs a playhouse in Newark. I've starred in quite a few productions that have been put on there."

"That's cool."

"They do well for themselves. They always took very good care of me and gave me the best opportunities. The only fault I could find in them would be that they care too much."

"That's not exactly a bad thing."

"It is when they care more about what they want for me than what I want for myself. We've always been on the same page about my future, but now…I just know they won't take this news well."

Finn's gaze fell to the floor and he felt guilt wash over him. "Having a baby isn't the end of the world," he mumbled lowly.

"I hope my dads see it that way."

They were quiet again and Finn's heart nearly stopped as he felt something jump at the back of his head. He shot off the couch and spun around quickly, brushing at his hair where the unknown thing hit him. Dashing along the back of the couch was a cream and coppery ball of fluff. When the feline made it to Rachel, he hopped down onto the cushions and rubbed along Rachel's thigh, purring as she stroked his longer fur. The cat glared at Finn and stepped into Rachel's lap, claiming her as his.

"Snickerdoodle I take it?" Finn asked, sitting back down now that the unknown had become known.

Rachel chuckled at him. "Yes, this is Snickerdoodle. He's a flame point Himalayan that my dads bought me when I moved to the city. He's my guard cat. Or at least he would be if he wasn't lazy and didn't sit in the window all day." She scratched behind his ears and his eyes drooped lower. "He loves to sunbathe and very rarely leaves my bedroom because he hates Blaine."

"Why does he hate Blaine?"

"Doodle started licking the gel out of his hair one day when Blaine fell asleep on the couch and when he woke up, he threw Doodle across the room and ever since they've hated each other."

"I'd probably hate Blaine too if he chucked me across the room." Finn tentatively stuck his hand out for Snickerdoodle to sniff and knew he earned approval when the cat licked his knuckle. He started petting his head and the cat stood on Rachel's lap before stepping off and slinking over to Finn. The cat purred loudly as he rubbed along Finn's leg then climbed into his lap and made himself comfortable.

Rachel giggled and shook her head at the cat. "Apparently he doesn't hate you."

Finn lightly pet the cat and smiled at Rachel. "Let's hope I'm as good with babies as I am with cats."

"They say animals and children are the best judges of character and Snickerdoodle hardly ever visits with anyone. I think he can tell that you're a good person."

"What about you?"

"Well, Doodle is my cat. Of course he likes me."

Finn shook his head. "That's not what I meant…" He stared at her and Rachel could feel herself flushing under his intense eyes.

"You're growing on me," Rachel confessed quietly. She could see a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "But I'd suggest knocking on closed doors from now on if you want to keep it that way."

Finn's cheeks pinked in embarrassment and he shifted on the couch making Doodle unhappy with him. The cat dug his claws into Finn's leg and Finn hissed in pain. "Ow, dude!" He pulled his paws off and Doodle meowed loudly at him before leaping off the couch and sauntering away. "I guess he doesn't like me that much."

"He's very particular about the bodies he lays on." Rachel yawned widely then and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, excuse me. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Blaine came home late from his night out and was drunk and woke me up and he reeked which set me off. I don't know why they call it morning sickness when it happens all hours of the day."

"Sorry," Finn mumbled, guilt on his features.

Rachel shrugged indifferently. "It's not your fault."

"It kinda is." He had gotten her pregnant after all.

"I suppose it is a little."

"Well, we don't need to leave for like two hours yet. Did you want to take a nap?"

Rachel shook her head no. "I'm fine. We should really get back on topic. We need to discuss how to handle dinner tonight."

Finn nodded in agreement and quickly licked his lips. "How should we handle dinner tonight?"

"We," Rachel yawned again and her eyes began to droop as her lack of sleep really began to hit her. Sitting on the couch with Finn was the first moment she had slowed down since waking up after the few hours sleep she got and it was finally catching up with her. "We should talk about dinner." She was so tired she was repeating herself.

"Rachel, we'll be on the train for like an hour. We can talk then. If you want to take a nap, you can. I can just watch TV."

"No, I'm fine." She tried to stifle another yawn but failed as it forced her mouth open. "Let's just put on something I know I will stay awake for." Rachel climbed off the couch and went to the DVD case, pulling out a movie Finn didn't recognize. She popped it in and a moment later, the menu for _Funny Girl_ was on the TV screen. "Have you seen _Funny Girl_ since I told you to watch it last?"

Finn shook his head. "It's not really my kind of movie."

"Well, if we're going to be friends, you must watch it with me. At least once." Rachel settled back on the couch, but this time sat in the middle much closer to Finn. She focused her attention on the movie intently and when Finn tried to ask about her dads more, she shushed him and told him to watch the movie.

The film was barely five minutes in when Finn felt Rachel's head lean against his shoulder. He looked down at her and saw that her eyes were closed and her breathing was getting heavier. Finn chuckled to himself and lightly jostled her head to see if she would wake. Rachel just snorted in her sleep and leaned into him further, wrapping her arm around his waist. He couldn't very well wake her up when she was clearly exhausted. Not wanting to lose the close comfort, Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel and settled in to watch the movie. It may not be his thing, but it was Rachel's favorite and he knew she loved Barbra Streisand and it might earn him some brownie points to sit through the movie even when Rachel wasn't awake to enjoy it with him.

At least it would have if he hadn't fallen asleep too.

When Finn snapped awake sometime later, he realized the light streaming through the windows was now coming from a different angle and the TV was on screen saver and somehow he and Rachel had stretched out on the couch together. Rachel was asleep in his arms as she lay in front of him and it made him smile. His grin was even wider when he noticed where his hand was resting. Even in his sleep he had been drawn to Rachel's bump and was cradling it in his hand. But then he looked at the clock on the wall and noticed the time and all the good feelings he woke up with dissipated as dread took over.

"Shit!" he hissed to himself. He didn't want to wake Rachel when she looked so angelic and peaceful, but if he didn't, he knew that would end even worse. "Rachel. Rachel, wake up." He reluctantly removed his hand from her belly and lightly shook her shoulder. "Come on, Rachel. You need to wake up."

She stirred and muttered unintelligibly as she turned onto her other side and wrapped her arm around Finn's body. Her thigh was brushing dangerously along his groin and her lips were so close all he had to do was rest his head back on the couch pillow and lean forward about an inch and they would connect. If they were dating he might find it suitable to rouse her from her slumber as if she was Sleeping Beauty by giving her a delicate kiss, but he wasn't her boyfriend and they were just friends and he had already put her into a compromising position once that day. A kiss would definitely not be appropriate.

So instead, he shook her shoulder again and spoke louder. "Rachel! We overslept. We're going to be late for dinner."

Rachel's eyes flew open and she sat up quickly to glance at the time. "Crap!" she wallowed. Rachel hopped off the couch and ran down the hall to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Finn moved a little slower as he sat up and shut off Rachel's DVD player and TV and stretched. While it had been nice sharing the couch with the girl he'd been imagining sharing a lot with over the past few weeks, it had been cramped. If Rachel were any bigger they would not have fit.

As he stood up, Rachel came running back down the hall looking at her phone with frantic eyes before putting it to her ear. Seconds later she was speaking quickly. "Daddy? I am so sorry! I fell asleep and overslept and we missed our train. We'll be about an hour later now." Silence as Rachel worried at her lip. "Thank you, Daddy. I really do apologize. We'll see you in about an hour. Okay, love you." Rachel turned to Finn. "There's an L train leaving in about ten minutes. If we hurry we can make it."

Without saying anything else, Rachel grabbed her keys and motioned for Finn to exit in a rush. She quickly locked the door and started running.

Ten minutes later, the doors of the train were about to close as Finn and Rachel made it to the platform and the only thing that saved them was Finn sacrificing his leg to the closing doors. They popped back open and he ushered Rachel inside before stepping in after her and the doors closed once more before the train began moving.

The pair was sweaty and out of breath as they searched for seats and found two toward the back of the car.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked, making sure Rachel and the baby were fine. He wasn't sure if pregnant women were supposed to run or not.

Rachel nodded in affirmation and took a deep breath in through her nose. "I'm a fairly avid runner so I'm fine. I'm only panting as I didn't warm up properly and these flats aren't exactly the best for running." Rachel threw her head back and sighed dramatically. "I cannot believe I fell asleep. Why didn't you wake me when it was time to go?"

"I fell asleep too. I was gonna try to watch that movie but I guess I was tired too."

"Well, this dinner is off to a great start. My dads are going to be annoyed at being forced to wait for us an extra hour. They believe punctuality is very important and says a lot about a person's character."

"They'll probably hate me no matter what I do, so I'm gonna try not to dwell on it."

Rachel gave him a sympathetic smile and took his hand in hers. "No matter what happens tonight, I am here for you. You're here for me, right?"

"Yes. Always."

"Then let's both try not to worry so much. If we go into tonight with a pessimistic attitude, nothing will go right." She flashed a brilliant white smile at him that was infectious and actually did make him feel more optimistic.

After that, Rachel spent the rest of the ride to Newark filling Finn in on her dads and what they could possibly expect from dinner. He tried to absorb everything Rachel was telling him, but she spoke so damn fast, he was sure he was missing something. By the end of their journey, Finn was armed with a fair amount of knowledge on the Misters Berry yet was completely freaking out.

As they walked out to the street, Finn glanced around looking for Rachel's dads' Lexus RX. Instead of finding that however, two men began to approach them and he pointed them out to Rachel. When she saw them, she squealed loudly and rushed over to her fathers whose faces lit up as she greeted them.

Taking a deep breath, Finn stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked after her.

"Sweetheart, it is so good to see you again!" the shorter, darker skinned man Finn knew to be Leroy said as he hugged Rachel. "It's been far too long since we've done dinner. I thought you said you were bringing a friend with?" He looked around, and even past Finn, as he searched for Rachel's friend.

"Yes, I did." Rachel took a step back and motioned for Finn to step forward. "Papa, Daddy, this is my friend…Finn Hudson. Finn, these are my fathers, Hiram," Rachel motioned toward the taller bespectacled man, "and Leroy," to the man she had spoken to previously.

Finn put his hand out for the men to shake, and like Rachel advised, gripped their hands firmly as they shook. According to Rachel, her dads could tell a lot about a person based solely on a handshake. It seemed they could tell a lot about people without much of anything to go on really.

As they shook, Finn could tell they were sizing him up and neither seemed to be pleased by what they saw.

"Finn, nice to meet you," Hiram stated, peering at him through his dark rimmed glasses.

"Well, this is a surprise. When Rachel told us she was bringing a friend to dinner, we assumed the friend would be female," Leroy added.

Finn looked down at Rachel who was starting to look mortified. "Sorry to disappoint you."

Leroy waved him off. "Nonsense. It's just…Rachel doesn't bring friends from the city to dinner often and when she has, they've been female."

"Are you two dating?"

Finn started coughing at Hiram's forward question and Rachel explained. "No, Papa, we're just friends. Neither of us is dating anyone. Actually, Finn is my boss at work."

"Oh right. I thought the name Finn was familiar." Leroy clapped his hands. "Well, since we're a little late with dinner tonight, your Papa and I decided to treat to dinner at Rachel's favorite restaurant."

"Really? Dads, that's really not necessary. Seriously, a quiet dinner at home would be preferable."

"Don't be silly, Rachel! This is a special occasion and you haven't been home in months." Hiram placed his arm around his daughter and started walking the group toward the car. Rachel seemed displeased by this turn of events and Finn wondered why. Was it because she _was_ being caught off guard again?

He found out when they arrived outside of what appeared to be a Japanese honky-tonk restaurant.

"What is this place?" Finn asked Rachel quietly as they walked behind her dads.

"It's probably the only Japanese honky-tonk bar and restaurant in existence."

"This is your favorite restaurant?" Finn was skeptical based on his knowledge of Rachel.

"They have some of the best sushi in town and karaoke. The atmosphere here is less than desirable however."

As they walked into the establishment, Finn could see what Rachel meant. It was a strange mix of feudal Japan and the wild American west. Waitresses walked around wearing cowgirl outfits while the waiters were dressed as samurai.

"The owners couldn't decide between owning a honky-tonk bar or a Japanese restaurant, so they went with both," Rachel explained to a highly confused Finn. Being a restaurateur himself, Finn had seen some wacky restaurant ideas before but this one was up there on the weirdness scale. "Hitoshi and Clara Ito own this place. Can you guess which one wanted which?" Rachel chuckled and scooted into the booth they had been led to and Finn slid in next to her.

"So Finn, being in the restaurant business yourself, what do you think of Hitoshi and Clara's Tokyo City Rodeo?" Leroy asked once comfortable next to his husband.

"It's different." Just then a tone deaf Japanese man began singing 'Somebody That I Used to Know'. "I would expect to see a place like this in New York more than Newark."

"Clara hates the city. Much too crowded for her. This place has been open for years here and Hitoshi and Clara do pretty good business. Rachel loves their sushi and they have a pretty decent veggie burger."

"But they also have great chicken sandwiches too," Hiram added.

Finn opened his menu and started searching the options. Their menu varied greatly from all kinds of Japanese fair to traditional American dishes. He was heavily leaning toward the bacon cheddar cheeseburger. The picture made it look at least as good as the one Hudson's prepared and he had to test to see if he still made the best burger he'd ever had.

"So what are you thinking, Finn?" Leroy asked, as if Finn's meal selection could tell whether or not Finn was a decent human being.

He licked his lips and looked down at Rachel who gave him a supportive smile. "I'm going to get the bacon cheddar cheeseburger. My restaurant makes the best burger in town and I always need to compare whenever I see other places have a similar burger."

"You aren't Jewish then?" Hiram asked, sharing a glance with Leroy.

Finn's eyes widened. "Uh, n-no sir."

"Papa…" Rachel warned.

"I'm just trying to learn about your friend, Rachel. I assumed he wasn't as he's going to eat a bacon cheeseburger."

"I don't feel that Finn's religion has any bearing on my relationship with him."

"On the contrary, my dear. What if one day you and he did decide to date and you got married? Would your ceremony still be held in temple? Would you even have a Jewish ceremony? How would you raise your children in a multi-faith home? What about our cemetery plot? Would you be buried there or elsewhere?"

"Hiram, I think you're getting ahead of yourself here. Rachel and Finn are just friends."

"These are important questions, Leroy."

"If Rachel and Finn were actually dating they might be. How about we leave the big questions like that for when they'll actually be important. I think you're scaring the poor man."

In fact, Hiram was scaring Finn. These questions were hitting much closer to home than Leroy or Hiram would believe. Finn honestly hadn't thought about all those things and Rachel hadn't mentioned anything either. The marriage thing wasn't that important but the kid was rather pressing. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Finn focused on the bigger problem of the moment: telling the Berrys that he had knocked up their only daughter.

"Sorry, I suppose I am getting ahead of myself here. Rachel, will you be indulging the crowd with a song tonight?"

Rachel looked toward the stage where the Japanese man was really going to town on that Gotye song. "I'm not sure if I'm in a karaoke mood tonight."

Both of her fathers gasped dramatically before Hiram leaned over the table to feel Rachel's forehead. "Are you feeling well? First you take a nap and oversleep; now you don't want to sing?" He turned to Leroy. "Perhaps we should call the Dr. Hornberger."

Rachel rolled her eyes and picked up her menu. "Calling Dr. Hornberger would be mild overkill seeing as I'm fine and he's a pediatrician and I am twenty-two. I just didn't get much sleep last night."

"Rachel, you know how important it is to get at least eight hours of sleep per night. If you want to maintain your health-"

"Papa! I know. Please calm down. I am healthy as ever."

He put his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry. It's just we love your voice and it's been months since we heard it. Has Finn even heard you sing before?" Hiram looked at Finn who was busy eating some of the peanuts on the table.

He looked up, startled, when he realized they were waiting for him to speak. "Oh, um, a little. I haven't heard her without a door between us though."

"You've heard me sing?" Rachel seemed surprised.

"Yeah. That day Blaine let me in."

Rachel nodded in understanding.

"Do you sing Finn?" Leroy asked.

Finn shook his head no. "Not really. I mean, I guess I can carry a bit of a tune in the shower, but I'm no pro like Rachel." She blushed at his compliment.

"You should give it a shot. Hiram and I do a rousing rendition of 'Ebony and Ivory' and Rachel always ruins the original of any song she ever sings…in the best way of course. Honestly, we're surprised she hasn't won a Tony yet."

"She needs to be in a show eligible for one first," Hiram commented a little bitterly.

Just then a perky cowgirl stopped by their table to get their order. "Howdy, y'all! My name is Jen and I'll be your server this fine and dandy evening. Can I get you some drinks and maybe an appetizer to start off with? Right now we're in Hitoshi's Happy Hour so all drinks and appetizers are half-off."

Jen took Hiram and Leroy's orders first and when she turned to Finn, her demeanor changed completely. Instead of a giddy cowgirl, Jen became flirty and tried to act seductive. It made Rachel's blood boil in frustration.

"Well, hello cowboy. What can I get for you this evening?" She leaned on the table and gave Finn a pretty clear view down her tight shirt.

"Uh, just a Pepsi and the bacon cheddar cheeseburger." He kept his eyes focused on the table in front of him and sought out Rachel's hand underneath, giving it a squeeze.

"And how about you?" Jen said to Rachel, barely giving her a glance as she continued to eye Finn like he was a gazelle and she was a lioness on the prowl.

"I would like the Very Veggie Sushi Platter and a water please." Her voice was tense and she squeezed Finn's hand back.

Jen stood back up and looked at the group as a whole. "I'll put those orders in right away for y'all. Your drinks will be out in a minute." She winked at Finn and shook her hips as she walked back toward the kitchen to put in their order.

Hiram shook his finger at Finn as his lips spread into a grin. "You…you're a real ladies' man, aren't you? I bet the girls just throw themselves at you all the time."

Finn gulped thickly and entwined his fingers with Rachel's. "I do alright, but I'm…" he looked at Rachel, "I'm trying to be more serious about my relationships now."

Leroy and Hiram shared a knowing glance. "Are you sure you two are not dating?"

"We're sure."

Jen came back with their drinks then, putting out little napkins to put the glasses on. Finn noticed as she put one down for him, a number was scrawled in Sharpie with 'call me' written underneath. Jen licked her lips as she stared at him with dark eyes before looking back at the group. "Your food should be out shortly."

Leroy took a sip of his lemonade and noticed Rachel's choice of beverage. "I'm surprised you didn't get your usual white sangria. That's your drink of choice here."

"I'm not in the mood to drink tonight."

Her father looked at her like he knew something was up, but didn't say anything as he drank his lemonade.

Their food arrived shortly after that and the conversation turned to Rachel's career.

"So sweetheart, how have your auditions been going? Any callbacks?" Hiram asked before biting into his chicken sandwich.

Rachel shook her head. "No, not lately."

"How is that possible? You're the most talented woman we know. Surely some casting directors have to have taken some interest in you."

She shrugged, not quite ready to tell her dads the reason she hadn't been to an audition in weeks.

"I'm sure it will happen eventually. Rachel's too talented and too deserving not to get everything she goes for," Finn agreed, grinning at her.

Rachel grinned back and popped a piece of sushi in her mouth. As she chewed, she realized it tasted different than usual. It wasn't bad but different. "This tastes different."

"Let me try," Hiram offered. Rachel placed a piece on his plate and when he ate it, he automatically knew the difference. "There's fish in this. I think our waitress brought you the wrong platter."

Rachel further examined her platter and their waitress had indeed brought the wrong platter. She had brought her Clara's Crab Platter instead of the Very Veggie. "Honestly, it tastes really good." She popped another piece into her mouth and chewed with abandon.

Her fathers stared at her in awe as she ate the fish filled concoction before turning to each other in shock. "Uh, honey, don't you want to send it back? You don't eat meat. Not even eggs or fish." Hiram was wholly concerned now. Rachel's behavior had been strange all day and it was worrying him.

"No, this is fine. All of this is cooked so it's fine."

"Rachel, I'm really worried about you. You never take naps or oversleep. You're always punctual and you always get the sangria when we come here. You don't want to sing tonight, which worries me more than anything, and now you're eating fish? What is going on with you?"

"It's nothing, Papa. I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Clearly it is something because this isn't like you."

"Can we please just talk about this later?"

Hiram stared at her sternly. "I'd prefer to talk about this now. If something is wrong we want to know."

Rachel looked at Finn who had gone pale as a sheet, stopping mid-chew, before swallowing hard. Her eyes began to well with tears as she turned back to her Papa. "Papa, please, can we talk about this later. I don't want to talk about it here."

"So something is going on?" Leroy put his hand out over Rachel's, rubbing his thumb over her skin soothingly. "Rachel, we love you and if you're in trouble, we're here to help."

She grit her teeth and turned hard eyes on them. "I don't want to talk about it now," she replied harshly. Rachel pushed at Finn to move out of the booth and followed him out to storm off to the bathroom. Finn plopped back down in the booth and sat in silence, staring at the remains of his burger with his hands in his lap.

Her fathers rounded on him for some answers. "What the hell is going on? You know something and that has to be why you're here. What happened to our daughter?"

"It's not…I think Rachel should tell you." While Finn was deeply involved in why Rachel was upset, he wasn't sure he was in the right place to be divulging their mutual secret. They were Rachel's dads and it would probably be easier coming from her. "I'm, uh, I'll check on her." Finn hopped out of the booth and hustled over to the bathrooms.

Searching around, Finn noticed no one wandering by and slipped into the women's bathroom. He heard crying coming from the stall furthest from the door. Finn slowly walked along to the stall and knocked on the door.

"Rachel? It's Finn."

She sniffled loudly. "Finn? What are you doing in here? It's the women's room."

"I know. I just needed to check on you. Can I come in?"

There was silence then the sound of the lock opening. The door swung open a miniscule amount and Finn stepped inside. Rachel was sitting on the toilet, her eyes puffy and her nose red. Finn knelt down to Rachel's level and put his hands on her knees.

"Hey, it's okay, Rachel."

"They're going to hate me."

"They will not hate you, Rachel. They're your dads and they love you. Can't you see how concerned they are about you right now? They just want you to be okay."

"I don't think they'll see this as okay."

Finn stood up and pulled Rachel to his body, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "Rachel, I promise you, everything will be alright." He looked down at her and held her face in his hands, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Do you believe me?"

She licked her lips. "I don't know."

"If you're ever going to trust me on anything, trust me on this. I will do anything in my power to make sure you and our kid will be alright." Finn watched as a tear slipped down to her lips and rested there. He lightly ran his thumb over her soft pink flesh and felt her breath shudder. His own breath came out heavily and he could feel Rachel's fingers on his stomach, sliding up to his chest to grip his shirt.

Finn's head dipped closer and he could feel Rachel's breath on his skin and her eyes fell closed. He tilted her head back and closed the shortening distance between them, pressing his lips to Rachel's.

The same spark he felt the first time he kissed her ignited inside him and he pressed her back against the wall. Rachel smoothed her hands up his shirt to his neck, pulling him closer and kissing him harder as Finn's hands trailed down her body to her thighs. He began pushing the hem of her dress up and Rachel slipped her hands down to Finn's pants, beginning to unbutton them. Finn's hands had just made it to the elastic of her panties when the sounds of a group of women entering the bathroom brought the amorous pair back to reality.

Rachel pushed Finn off of her and brushed her skirt back down to cover her thighs, brushing out her hair, and trying to control her heart. She put her finger to her lips to signal him to keep quiet and opened the door to leave the stall.

Finn stood in wonder as he waited for the group of women to leave, buttoning his pants up and plopping down on the toilet. He brushed his fingertips over his lips and replayed the kiss over and over.

It was apparent that he was making a huge mistake trying to be her friend. They could be so much more, so much better if they just tried, but they were deluding themselves into believing that being friends was the best option for everyone. He wanted Rachel and he was fairly certain she wanted him too. There had to be a way to convince her that they could be good together.

Once the gaggle of girls left the bathroom, Finn made his escape from the ladies' room to find the Berrys packing up. All their food was in to go boxes and Hiram was rubbing Rachel's back as she tried to act natural. It was obvious she had been crying and it was clear she was avoiding Finn. She didn't look at him and when he tried to grab her hand on the way out, Rachel folded her arms over her stomach. In the car, she turned away from him and stared out of the window.

When they made it back to the Berrys, they all congregated in the living room, Hiram and Leroy in separate chairs across from Finn and Rachel on opposite ends of the couch.

"Now will someone please explain to me why Rachel is so emotional and acting so strangely?" Leroy started. "I want to know why my daughter is so upset."

Rachel took a deep breath and looked at her father. She scooted to the edge of the couch and gripped the arm so tight her knuckles were white. "I have some startling news for you and I know you won't be happy with me but you have to know."

Hiram and Leroy exchanged puzzled glances. "What is it Rachel?"

She looked over at Finn and he nodded at her. "Finn and I are not dating. That is true. We have no interest in dating each other. But about two months ago, Finn asked if I could pretend to be his girlfriend for his friend's wedding. I was just trying to help out a friend, but things went further and…dads, I'm pregnant." She looked down in shame and started wringing her hands together, trying to keep herself from breaking down again.

The room went silent as a tomb and Rachel closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable explosion while Finn's vision went fuzzy as he stared at the wall behind Hiram's head.

"I knew there was a reason I didn't like you when I first met you," Hiram began quietly. "Now I know why."

"Papa…"

"Did he force you?"

"What?! No, Papa, it was consensual. I wouldn't be here with him if it weren't."

Leroy leaned forward in his chair and held his head in his hands. "I don't – I don't understand, Rachel. We taught you about all forms of birth control. We were even willing to pay for the pill for you because we aren't stupid. You're twenty-two, we were young once so we understand your urges. How did this happen?"

"Inebriation and a momentary lapse in judgment. It was a complete accident and I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Rachel started crying again, harder this time and Leroy went to her and held her close, softly stroking her hair to calm her.

Hiram stood up and began pacing furiously. "Rachel, how could you let this happen? What about your future? Broadway? How do you expect to make that happen as a single mother?"

"Hiram, this is not what she needs right now."

"No, no, you're right. This is what she needed before she decided to have unprotected sex with him!" He angrily pointed at Finn. "You are twenty-two, Rachel. You aren't a child anymore and to make such a juvenile decision…"

Leroy stood up and moved to his husband, pushing him out of the room to talk quietly.

Finn turned to Rachel who was still crying heavily, taking the seat next to her and wrapping his arm around her. She put up minor resistance to his comfort, but didn't have the energy or the will to fight allowing him to take care of her.

"It's okay, Rachel, it's going to be okay."

Leroy and Hiram walked back into the living room and Hiram sat back down, trying not to fume. "What is your plan? Have you thought about this at all?"

Rachel nodded against Finn's shoulder, but Finn answered. "We're keeping him and we're going to raise him together as friends."

"Oh that's a great plan," Hiram mocked. "And how do you plan on doing that? One week at mom's, one week at dad's, living in a single room with each of you while Rachel completely gives up on her dream to raise your unwanted child."

"Hiram!"

"You are so out of line right now!" Finn hollered, standing up and trying to look as imposing as possible. "We messed up, we get that, but your daughter needs you right now and all you can do is blame her for the one mistake she's made?"

"Maybe I should be blaming you instead."

"If that will make you feel better. You can hate me all you want, I wasn't really expecting you to like me once you found out, but do not turn your back on your daughter or your grandchild because of this. She did nothing wrong and she needs you so how about you stop judging her and actually try to help her." Finn said his piece and sat back down next to Rachel.

"Do you really think you're both ready to handle caring for a child? What about your career? What about marriage? I just want what's best for you and I don't think having this child is what's best for you, Rachel."

"Are you suggesting she abort it?" Leroy asked in shock.

"No, of course not. I'm just saying maybe everyone would be better off if the child were put up for adoption. It would go to a good home that could love it and care for it, and you both could go on with your lives. Finn, you can go back to your bachelor ways, doing whatever you did before this whole debacle, and Rachel can get back on track to stardom."

"What if I don't want that?" Rachel spoke up.

"What do you mean, 'what if I don't want that'? Of course you do. Do you know how many people make it in the business _after_ having kids? Not many, if any. Do you want to be a bartender for the rest of your life? Living paycheck to paycheck and watching other people take your parts, living your dreams, while you sit around cleaning spit-up and changing dirty diapers alone?"

"Do you really believe in me that little? I can still have this baby and have my dream. I don't see why I have to choose. I know it will be hard, but I'm not alone. Finn will be here with me."

"Is he going to marry you? Take care of you? He has no long term commitment to you."

"No. We aren't going to get married. We don't need to be together to raise our child. We can do this together as friends."

Leroy interceded and stepped between Hiram and Rachel. "Okay, Hiram, you need to go upstairs and relax. When you've calmed down, we can talk about this rationally. Finn, this is a family matter and seeing as you are not family, I think you should head back to the city. Rachel, you should stay here with us tonight so we can discuss this calmly tomorrow. We'll take the day off to spend together."

"With all due respect, Mr. Berry, seeing as I'm the father of Rachel's baby, I think this matter does concern me. I'm half responsible for this and I'm going to be in Rachel's life for a very long time whether you want me to be or not. It doesn't matter if we get married or just stay friends or end up hating each other sometime down the line, I'm not giving my kid up and I'm not giving up on Rachel. We aren't putting our baby up for adoption and I'm not going home without Rachel."

"Don't you think you've done enough damage? Go home, Finn."

"No, Daddy, Finn's right. He's family now. Either he stays to talk with us, or I go back to the city with him."

Leroy sighed and rubbed his face. He looked tired and suddenly much older as he looked down at his daughter. "Okay. Why don't we just call it a night? You both can spend the night here and we'll discuss this in the morning after everyone has had a good night's sleep. Does that work for everyone?"

Hiram didn't look happy as he stood up. He didn't say anything as he shook his head and walked out of the living room. They could hear his footsteps as he ascended the stairs and the slamming of a door on the second floor.

Leroy turned back to Finn and Rachel and tried to smile for their benefit. "So, Finn, you can stay in the guest room, Rachel, your bedroom is still just as you left it. I think Hiram might have some pajamas if you want to borrow some…"

"No, that's fine. I'm good in this." It would be weird to wear Rachel's dad's pajamas, especially when he hated him.

"Okay. I'll show you upstairs."

They followed Leroy up to the guest room and he said goodnight to Rachel. "I'm really sorry about all of this Rachel."

"Finn, I'm tired of hearing you apologize. I'm really starting to hate the word 'sorry'. Can we just move on?"

He nodded and pulled Rachel in for a hug. "We'll get through this. Get some sleep." He kissed the side of her head and she pulled away.

"Goodnight, Finn."

Finn watched her walk to her bedroom down the hall, Leroy behind her, and closed the door. Feeling out of place in the guest room of the house of two people who hated him, Finn sat on the bed in the dark and thought about his night.

While things hadn't gone exactly as planned with his family dinner, at least his family came around in the end. He just wasn't so sure that would happen here. Hiram seemed to hate his very existence and really didn't seem to want anything to do with Rachel's child. He was so callous toward her about all of this, angry and cold. It killed him inside to see the pain Rachel was going through because of him. She just wanted her fathers' love and acceptance and they weren't giving it unconditionally like parents are supposed to.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Finn undressed down to his boxers and climbed under the covers. He closed his eyes and let uneasy sleep overtake him.

Sometime later, Finn was dreaming of Rachel, being with her, running his hands over her body, kissing her soft skin, burying himself between her legs. It was so vivid he could almost feel her in bed with him. He moaned out in his sleep and could swear there was a body next to him, touching his bare chest.

His groggy eyes opened and he could see light from outside pouring in through the curtains and a figure with long dark hair looming over him. "Rachel?" he asked through his sleepy haze. "What are you doing in here?"

"Shh," she whispered, leaning over him to place a finger against his lips. "Don't speak." She removed her finger and replaced it with her lips.

Finn's eyes closed as he lost himself in the feel of her mouth on his, her body pressing against his body, her hands trailing down his chest to the waist of his boxers. His hands landed on her waist and he slid them up her sides, pushing the material of her tank top up. Rachel sat up and allowed him to pull it off completely, leaning back down to reattach her mouth to his and rubbing her thigh over his hips.

He groaned as Rachel's hand slipped beneath the waist of his boxers to fondle his growing erection. He bucked against her and Rachel wrapped her fingers around his cock, stroking him as she began to kiss along his jaw. Finn slipped his hand below the waist of Rachel's panties and gripped her ass, pushing her body against his to create some friction. She whined against his throat before helping Finn to remove her panties and pushing his boxers down his body.

Rachel sat up and threw her leg over Finn's body to straddle him, grinding her core against his body, tossing her head back and moaning at the feeling. Finn could see the silhouette of Rachel's body outlined by the lamplight coming through the window and could see her nipples pebbled in arousal. As Rachel shifted back, taking his length in her hand and teased her entrance with his head, Finn spread his fingers out and ran his hands up Rachel's torso to gently cup her breasts. Rachel moaned as he lightly massaged them, relieving the ache she had felt for weeks on end. Needing to feel the same relief below, Rachel smoothed her hand down Finn's hard yet soft shaft and sank down on him slowly, enjoying the feeling of being stretched and filled by Finn.

Finn pushed his hips up to meet Rachel's and his breath became harsh as she squeezed tightly around him. He ran his hands back down her body, placing one on her hip and one over her bump. She rocked back and forth on him, her body writhing over top of him, her long tendrils of hair flowing back and forth over her breasts as she moved. She looked ethereal as the soft glow of light surrounded her like an aura.

"Rachel," Finn breathed out, thrusting into her and rolling his head back into his pillow. He lifted himself into a sitting position and held her back in his hands, kissing her neck as her head tilted back. She snapped her hips into his, taking him in deep and sending waves of electricity through his body each time. Her fingers raked down his back and dug in as Finn's lips assaulted her neck, sucking hard and surely leaving a mark.

"Finn…oh God, Finn." She bounced in his lap and pressed her forehead against his, kissing his lips until they were swollen.

He could tell she was close, her motions were getting jerkier and less rhythmic, her body tightening, preparing to snap. Finn ran his hands over her body, slipping between them to stroke between her thighs, teasing the silky little nub that made her legs quake on either side of him. He rubbed circles around her clit, biting on her lower lip, thrusting his hips up to graze against her spot, feeling the friction on his own heated flesh. It was tantalizing and erotic and Finn felt like he was about to bust from the sheer unadulterated pleasure coursing through his body.

Finn had had plenty of sex in his life, but never had it been like this. It was even better than he remembered it being the first time with Rachel and he knew it was something special. No one could compare and he never wanted to try to recreate the experience with another woman. He only wanted Rachel and no one else would do.

"Let go, baby," Finn said in a breathy moan into Rachel's ear, pumping into her harder and faster, rubbing her clit with more purpose until she finally cried out. Her walls pulsed around his cock and she shuddered violently in his arms. She mumbled unintelligibly as she rode out her orgasm, rocking her hips back and forth to make it last.

Finn followed shortly after, spilling into Rachel, his cock swelling and twitching as his orgasm ripped through him. He grunted as he pushed into her before finally succumbing to the exhaustion. Finn fell back onto the bed and stared up at Rachel through heavy lidded eyes. She slipped off him and he could feel himself going soft as her heat left his hips. Rachel laid next to him, nestling her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his chest and hitching her leg over his body.

"Thank you," she whispered against his chest, kissing him softly and making patters on his skin with her fingertips.

"…welcome," he mumbled in reply, not really knowing what she was thanking him for but being too tired to care. Sleep descended upon him once more, this time with less foreboding and more content coloring his emotional state.

Hours later as the sun streamed through the blinds, Finn startled awake and was instantly confused as to his surroundings. The room looked completely unfamiliar and Finn was having a tough time getting his bearings. He sat up in bed and rubbed his face and suddenly recalled the day prior. He and Rachel had told her dads that she was pregnant and they had taken the news poorly. Then he spent the night at their house.

And he had that amazing dream about Rachel coming into his room. He threw himself back into bed and remembered the vivid dream clearly in his mind. His eyes closed and he let the feelings he had experienced during the dream wash over him again. The heady feeling as Rachel's tight sex engulfed his cock, the lust he felt as he saw her breasts bounce in the moonlight, the tingles as he felt the weight of them in his hands, the love he felt as they connected so intimately.

"Fuck," he whispered, rubbing his face.

Love. Was that really what he felt in a dream? Was that really what he felt in general?

The answer was yes. It had been a very short amount of time, but Finn knew it was true. He loved Rachel and not just because she was carrying his baby, he loved _her_. Everything about her. Her passion for everything, her stubbornness, her laugh, her work ethic, how deeply she cared about people, even the way she got angry at him.

A knock on the door broke him from his thoughts. "Finn?" She opened the door a crack and poked her head in. Finn sat up again and looked at her as she timidly spoke. "My dads are making breakfast if you'd like some. You probably need some fuel after our activities last night." She bit her lip in the cutest way and it went straight to Finn's groin.

"Uh, yeah, last night with your dads was pretty draining. I'll be down in a minute." He nodded his head and smiled at her, not sure what she meant exactly. They hadn't really done any activities. She looked like she wanted to say something to him, but couldn't get the words out. "Are you alright?"

She smiled weakly at him. "I'm fine. How did you sleep?"

"Great, actually."

Rachel's eyes seemed to grow watery and her smile faded from her face. "Okay. I'll see you downstairs." She closed the door and let Finn get dressed.

He threw the blankets off of him and was surprised when he was completely naked underneath. Finn distinctly remembered wearing his boxers to bed. He would never sleep in a guest bed nude.

That's when it hit him. The vivid dream…it hadn't been a dream.

Rachel had come to him in the night and they had made love and he had messed up again by not remembering. That was what she meant by activities and why tears had been forming in her eyes. "Fuck," he shouted to the room. He didn't know what provoked Rachel to come to him but it had been his in and he had completely fucked it up.

Why couldn't he ever do anything right?

* * *

And the drama continues...


	9. The Indecision

And now a little insight to Rachel's thought process...

* * *

Rachel stared off into space as she sat at the kitchen table, silent and still, going numb to keep from crying yet again.

How could she think sleeping with Finn again would be a good idea? Nothing good came of it the first time, why would anything change the second time? It had been stupid and reckless and clearly she wasn't learning from her mistakes. Last night had been one of the most emotional of her life.

_After she said goodnight to Finn, her daddy walked her back to her bedroom, not saying a word to her. She could see the disappointment on his face and how tired he looked. They stopped at her door and she turned to her father. "Daddy…" He looked at her and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I love you and Papa so much and I hope you can forgive me for this. It's really not that bad. You always said you wanted grandchildren," she pleaded with him._

_ "Not like this, Rachel. We wanted you to be prepared for children. We wanted to see your career established, see you go to the Tony's, walk you down the aisle to give you away to a husband that will love you and want children with you. You can't really want this?"_

_ "It's not what I planned – of course it isn't what I planned – but I can't turn my back on my child. You know I know what it's like to grow up without a mother. To always wonder about that part of myself. You and Papa are great, you've been the best parents anyone could ever ask for, but I couldn't help but always wonder. I can't put my son or daughter through the same thing when I can be there for him or her, when I want to be there for him or her. I already love this baby and I can't…I can't give her up like my mother did to me."_

_ Leroy's face hardened at that. "Well, I'm sorry your Papa and I weren't enough for you, Rachel."_

_ "Daddy…that isn't fair. You know that isn't what I meant."_

_ Leroy rubbed his temples. "Rachel, I'm not exactly in the mood to discuss this right now. Let's just go to bed and we'll talk in the morning. Goodnight, Rachel." He crossed the hall to his bedroom door._

_ "I love you, Daddy."_

_ Leroy softened his face and looked back at his daughter, her face distraught. "I love you too, Rachel. Goodnight." He opened his door and Rachel could see her Papa sitting in bed, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared intensely at the television._

_ "I love you, Papa," Rachel called to him before Leroy could close the door. His eyes shifted to her and she smiled at him, hoping he had calmed down a bit. He just stared at her for a moment before going back to watching TV. Rachel could feel the tears prickling at the backs of her eyes and Leroy tried to console her._

_ "He'll come around, Rachel. Try to get some sleep. We love you." He smiled at her and closed his door._

_ She nodded, praying her Daddy was right, and opened the door to her bedroom. Rachel walked inside and closed her door behind her, leaning back against it and looking around at her childhood room. Nothing had gone right and at the moment it felt like nothing ever would. She dragged herself over to her bed, untying the sash at her waist and unzipping the zipper at the side. The dress fell to the floor and Rachel grabbed a tank top from her drawer, slipping it on and sliding into bed._

_ Ugly sobs wracked her body as she finally allowed her emotions to completely take her over. Her cries were heavy and loud and hurt as she wallowed in the horrible turn of events. She had never felt so low in her life, so horrible, not even after her mother turned her away. After weeks spent seeking her out and telling her she wanted a relationship via song, it was after their meeting that Shelby figured out what she really wanted was a baby, not just a daughter. It had been a tough pill to swallow, to realize the mother she had always dreamed about, pictured in her head from a young age, imagined to be a famous actress doing a good deed for a couple in need or that it was the hardest decision in the world for her to have a child and give it to someone else, was actually just a failed actress who had only agreed to having a baby to get paid._

_ Shelby never wanted her until she learned she could never have kids again years later then used the most cryptic means to get in touch with her due to the contract she signed with her dads. But once they met, Shelby realized they didn't have a connection and wanted nothing to do with her. She didn't even say a proper goodbye when she left town never to be heard from again._

_ And that was why she couldn't let her baby go. She could never be so cold hearted. Rachel wanted fame and Broadway but not at the cost of her flesh and blood._

_ And now, she didn't even have her fathers to help. Her Papa wasn't speaking to her and her Daddy thought she was ungrateful for their love, like they weren't enough for her. It was so far from the truth but she couldn't deny that her own experience with her mother was influencing her decision now._

_ She just wished they could accept her decision and love her again. She hated feeling so utterly alone and unwanted. Rachel had never felt so unloved._

_ Hot tears spilled down her cheeks as she buried her face into her pillow, attempting to calm down but failing miserably. Hours passed as she faded between heavy sobs and light hiccups, her thoughts raging in her head, depressing her deeply._

_ But after a while, she realized there was one person who cared about her. He may not love her, but he definitely cared and had a vested interest in her. Perhaps just for tonight she could pretend he was more. She had done it once for him. She just needed some comfort and Finn seemed willing enough to give it. It would be nice to feel like someone didn't hate her._

_ Needing Finn, Rachel climbed out of bed and cleaned herself up in the bathroom before tiptoeing over to Finn's room. She slipped inside quietly and found Finn passed out on the bed shirtless, comfortably tucked under the comforter._

_ Rachel pulled back the covers and slipped into bed with Finn. She faced his motionless body but didn't touch him as she watched him sleep. He looked so blissful as he slept, like he didn't have a care in the world, and Rachel desperately wished she could join him in whatever peaceful place he was._

_ She brushed her fingers along his forehead, into his hair, before stroking down to his chest. His body was firm yet not so hard it was like a rock. He was cuddly and beautiful and so damn perfect and Rachel felt a yearning for him she hadn't ever experienced. This was stronger than the night of Santana's wedding, a greater pull than in the bathroom at the restaurant. She needed Finn in every sense of the word._

_ "Finn," she breathed lightly, nuzzling her nose against his, along his cheek, sliding her fingers over his muscles. "Finn, wake up." She pressed her hands to his body and felt him stir against her. Rachel sat up and looked down at him as he roused._

_ "Rachel? What are you doing in here?" he asked, looking up at her in adorable sleepy confusion._

_ It was actually a good question. All she had wanted was someone to hold her and tell her the world wasn't coming to an end but now that she was with him, that didn't seem enough. In no mood to explain her sudden change in behavior toward him, and not wanting to admit just how desperate she was for some love, Rachel just quieted him and told him not to speak._

_ They made love then, the most erotic and best sex she had ever had. She was sated like never before and felt closer to Finn than any other person she had ever known. As she slipped off him once they both had come and began to feel drained, a warm fuzzy feeling spread throughout her body and that feeling of loneliness dissipated._

_ She cozied up to Finn and held him tight, loving the human contact she didn't receive often. Rachel thanked him for putting her at ease and making her feel wanted and allowed herself to fall asleep in the comfort and safety of his arms once he passed out again._

_ When she woke a few hours later still in Finn's arms, his nose buried in her hair and his hand over her bump as he held her from behind, Rachel smiled and felt happier than she had in a long time. It was short lived however when she knew she had to leave his bed to return to hers. If she wanted to start rebuilding her relationship with her fathers, she should probably start by not getting caught in bed with Finn._

_ Rachel turned in Finn's arms and gently caressed his cheek, brushing her lips against his. "Finn," he stirred a little and his eye popped open._

_ "Rachel?" he mumbled sleepily._

_ "I need to go back to my room, but we can talk about us when we get back to the city."_

_ "About us?"_

_ "About what last night means for our relationship. I think we should maybe be something more than friends."_

_ "More than friends…" Finn muttered in reply. "'Kay." He smiled at her and puckered up his lips for a kiss. Rachel giggled lightly and kissed him, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck._

_ "Go back to sleep. We'll talk later." She kissed him again and slipped out of bed, finding her tank top and panties on the floor and rushing back to her room before her fathers could find her wandering around naked._

_ She fell into her own bed, content for the moment and feeling like it would only get better from there on out. Being only five am, Rachel had time to get a few hours more sleep so allowed herself the satisfaction of slipping back into pleasant dreams._

_ Her daddy woke her a few hours later to inform her that they were going to be making breakfast and that they could talk. Her Papa had calmed down some and while he still wasn't happy, he was willing to listen without getting angry. Rachel thanked him and he left her alone to get dressed. She put on some shorts and a sweatshirt and cleaned up in her bathroom before going back to Finn's room to tell him they were making breakfast._

_ Rachel's heart hammered in her chest as she knocked on the door, the memories of a few hours past still fresh in her mind. She opened it and found Finn sitting up in bed, looking well rested._

_ "My dads are making breakfast if you'd like some. You probably need some fuel after our activities last night." She bit her lip, attempting to share an intimate moment with him, but as she looked at his face, Rachel didn't see any recognition there. He just looked confused._

_ His response made it apparent that Finn didn't remember again or he was at least acting like he didn't. Apparently their shared moments weren't as memory inducing to him as they were to Rachel or as important. Her eyes began to water but she fought back the tears, trying to act natural. If Finn didn't want her, then she wasn't going to mention it._

_ It had been a mistake to go to him. She should have just cried herself to sleep and moved on with life, but she just had to be near him…to have sex with him. She asked how he slept, hoping he might give some indication that he cared at all about her, but he didn't. He didn't say why he slept great, just that he had. He didn't say anything about their conversation earlier that morning either._

_ It was like last night never even happened._

_ Rachel left Finn alone and choked on a sob as she walked down the hallway before taking in a shuddering breath and holding her head high. She couldn't let this get her down. She needed to be strong for herself and for her baby and she didn't need Finn. Rachel didn't need anyone._

And that was how she got to that point; sitting in the kitchen, waiting for breakfast and to talk with her fathers, trying to keep it together.

Finn walked into the kitchen, wearing his clothes from the day before, and this time when he looked at her, she could tell it had finally hit him. He remembered, but that didn't change anything. Being with Finn was a bad idea and this whole experience just solidified that for her. If she wanted to be healthy, in all respects, she couldn't tangle herself up with Finn and couldn't allow him to manipulate her emotions. She couldn't keep sleeping with him when it didn't mean a thing to him. She couldn't keep wishing for more when he did this to her every time they got close.

He sat at the table across from her and just stared at her, trying to communicate with his eyes, but she refused to look at them. Rachel couldn't get lost in the warm inviting amber, she couldn't fall victim to whatever spell he put her under when he gave her that penetrating soul searching gaze.

"Finn, I hope you don't mind French toast?" Leroy asked, placing a stack on the table in front of them.

Finn smiled up at her father. "I love French toast. Thank you."

Hiram grabbed the pot of coffee and poured some into three mugs before sitting at the table next to Rachel. Leroy joined them moments later with the fruit salad bowl, giving his husband a stern glance.

Hiram cleared his throat and looked at Rachel, taking her hand in his. "I want to apologize for my reaction last night. It was uncalled for and I shouldn't have been so harsh. We honestly want what is best for you, Rachel. That's why we care so much about your future. We just think this is going to be more difficult than you think it is. Raising a child is a job in its own right."

"I'm aware of the difficulties that lie ahead for me, but I'm preparing for them."

"We know that, Rachel," Leroy added. "You're a planner, you always have been. And we know you will be a great mother."

"We also expect Finn to keep to his word that he will help raise this child. He's going to be a father now and he better step up to the challenge." Hiram eyed Finn and he nodded in reply.

"Don't worry, I will." He reached out for Rachel's hand but she withdrew it, so Finn just steered his hand to make it look like he was reaching for his coffee instead and took a sip.

Hiram squeezed Rachel's hand tighter. "If you need anything, we'll be here for you. We love you, Rachel, and we don't want to lose you or miss out on knowing our grandchild. You made a mistake but it isn't the end of the world and I see that now. You've always been driven and determined and I know nothing, not even an unplanned pregnancy, will stop you from achieving your dreams, whatever they may be. We just want you to be happy."

Rachel had tears in her eyes again but this time they were happy. She had her dads back and they were going to be there for her. "You aren't mad at me anymore?"

"Rachel, we were never mad at you. Sure, we were upset but that was just because this is shocking. We never expected this from you. We thought you were gearing up for Broadway, not babies, and to hear that you're having one with a man you aren't in a relationship with…it's just not something a parent wants to hear. I hope you never have to go through this with your own son or daughter."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Papa. Thank you for not hating me."

"I could never hate you. My job is to love you and I could never stop doing that." He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around Rachel in return. "Now how about we eat before the food gets too cold. I'm sure our grandchild is hungry." He and Rachel chuckled and breakfast started moving smoothly.

They discussed the future and asked Finn about himself and his family, trying to get to know their grandchild's father better. They were quite impressed with his pedigree, the son of a soldier and a nurse, then becoming the step-son of a millionaire congressman and owning his own successful business. Rachel knew her dads always expected her to end up with a stardom bound savant like herself, and though Finn was quite a bit different from her past boyfriends, they didn't seem to mind.

Throughout the exchange, Rachel did her best not to talk to him or even look at him, but every so often she couldn't help a quick glance. He still seemed nervous around her fathers but he was more at ease than he had been yesterday.

By the time they got ready to go back to the city her dads seemed to be singing a different tune entirely and almost even liked Finn. When they dropped them off at the train station, Rachel wasn't feeling quite the same way about him however.

As they sat in the station waiting for the train, Finn tried to talk to her about their amorous activities the night before. "Rachel, about last night…"

"Nothing happened, Finn."

"But it did and I realize that now. I just didn't-"

"You didn't remember? Again? You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes, because it's true…well, not exactly. I thought it was a dream. I never expected you to jump me in my sleep so I just thought I had made the whole thing up. But I do remember it, Rachel."

"There's a big difference between dreaming and reality, Finn. I don't care how sleepy you were, there's no way you could mistake that. You don't need to make excuses. It doesn't matter anyway. It didn't mean anything. I was lonely and desperate for some affection and you were all that was available. It was a moment of weakness and it won't happen again."

"You know that's not true Rachel. I know I hurt your feelings by not remembering but the first time we were drunk and I've never had good recall after a night of drinking and this time you jumped me in my sleep. Sometimes I don't remember what happens when I'm half asleep. It does happen. Even when I was little I'd get up in the middle of the night and do stuff then go back to bed and not remember it at all until much later. Ask my mom! She's caught me and that's how I know. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself or that I don't care about you or that it wasn't real. I do care and if we ever had sex while I was alert, I promise you, it would be something I'd never forget."

"I'm not sure if I believe you."

Finn tugged on his hair in frustration, turning in his seat to look at her head on. "Rachel, I've been an idiot. I've been trying to keep us friends because I thought it would be best for everyone. I didn't want to chance a relationship with you because I was afraid I might lose you for good, but I can tell I'm already losing you and I've never really even had you. But I'm not going to lie to myself anymore. I want you, Rachel. Not just as a friend or-or for sex," he licked his lips and put his hand under her chin to force her to look at him, "I want all of you. I want you to be my girlfriend and to be your boyfriend. I want to raise our baby as a couple."

"You're just saying that because you feel guilty," Rachel muttered, turning her head away and wiping at her eyes.

"No, I'm not. The night you told me you were pregnant, before you told me, I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend. Ever since Santana's wedding, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. Working with you and seeing you nearly every day drove me crazy because I wanted to be with you but you wouldn't give me the time of day. And then you called me and I thought I was getting a second chance but I messed up when I walked out on you. Then I thought friendship would be the way to go when you let me back in, but it's not really working for me, especially after last night. When we were together…I can't even think of words to describe how great it felt to be with you."

Everything he was saying was everything Rachel wanted to hear for so long. He did feel the same way she felt about him…or had felt before this morning. Now she wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual. He had put her through so much already and they weren't even together. Their past was tumultuous and sometimes gave her a headache to think about and with the future so uncertain still…she just didn't think trying to make a relationship with Finn work was in her best interest anymore. She would never stop him from seeing their child and being in his or her life, but she couldn't have him in hers. He caused her too much pain and she hadn't even given her whole self to him yet. If she ever did and he broke her heart and left her alone, she would be shattered and she couldn't bear to think how that would bode down the line. If she wanted to have any semblance of normal with Finn, she had to release her feelings for him. She had to really move on.

Unfortunately that was easier said than done. A part of her still wanted him and probably always would and a tiny voice in her head said they could work. There was obviously something between them and if Finn was telling the truth, Rachel could finally have him like she had always wanted. It felt like there was an angel and a devil on her shoulders, pulling her in different directions and she didn't know which to choose. To take one more chance on Finn or to call three strikes and forget about him. Rachel was so conflicted.

"Please, Rachel, just give me a chance to prove it to you."

One thing was certain; she needed some time to sort this out. Time away from Finn to clear her head and figure out what she really wanted. She turned to Finn and stared at him through her tears, steeling her resolve to swear him off for the moment. "I can't do this with you, Finn."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't do this. I can't just act like everything is okay between us and give you what you want. I need to figure out what I want, what I need for myself and for our baby, and I can't do that with you around."

Finn's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, his jaw setting. "But…last night…"

"Was a mistake. Look Finn, I'm not going to keep you from our baby, I want you to be in her life, but right now, I need you out of mine. What happened last night should never have happened. I think it's best if we just forget about everything between us for now. We need to focus on the baby and whatever is going on with us is just going to get in the way of doing what is best for her and to be honest, you complicate everything in my life. So please, just…back off until I can sort myself out."

"Rachel…"

Finn was cut off by the sound of the train arriving and Rachel stood up before he could catch her. He had to convince her, make her realize she was making a mistake by not taking a chance on him. That they could be better together. But when he found her on the train, she was sitting in a crowded area with no available seats around. She was avoiding him now.

He sat himself down a few seats away, Rachel still in view, but trying very hard not to look his way. Something changed since she left his room last night. She wouldn't have come to him if she didn't feel about him the way he felt about her, but now she was doing a complete 180 and wanted nothing to do with him on a personal level. Obviously it was him. His inability to remember their intimate moments had to be the cause and messing it up a second time…Rachel apparently didn't want to attempt for a third. He couldn't blame her he supposed, they had a poor track record, but there was that saying 'third time's the charm'. If he could just earn one more chance, he could prove that he was serious about her and it wasn't just words…wasn't just moments of fleeting lust, but true love.

Despite her protests that she could get back to her apartment by herself once back in Manhattan, Finn insisted on taking her home.

"Finn, what aren't you getting? I don't need you to take care of me! I don't need you! What I need is for you to leave me alone!"

It stung as Rachel admitted she didn't need him, but he had to keep trying. "I know you don't need me, but-"

"Then please just go home, Finn. I will see you at work tomorrow."

She tried to walk away but Finn gripped her hand. "Rachel, I know you're mad at me and you think cutting me out of your life as much as you can under these circumstances might make you feel better, but I don't think it will." He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "You wouldn't have come to my room and slept with me last night if you didn't have feelings for me. If you just wanted to be friends, you would have stayed in your room. I'm sorry about hurting you again when I swore I wouldn't, but if you just give me a real chance I can fix this."

"I don't want you to fix anything, Finn. I want you to let go of me and go home. I'm tired and I just want to go home and I don't want to deal with anymore drama for today."

"There wouldn't be drama if you'd just talk to me. You say communication is key, but now you're pushing me away instead of telling me the problem."

"You want to know the problem?!" Rachel growled. "I'm having a baby with a man I hardly know. He says he cares about me but then he doesn't seem to even remember it. He runs away when the going gets tough. How can I trust that you mean what you say when half the time you do the opposite? How can I trust my heart to a man that I can't trust?"

"You can trust me. Anything you want me to do, I will do it, Rachel. Tell me what you want from me so I can fix this. I will do anything."

"I want you to let me go home in peace."

Finn released Rachel's hand. "Okay. I'll let you go. Can I see you later though? So we can talk about this?"

Rachel shook her head no. "I need some space to figure things out right now, Finn. I just need to be alone. Please respect that."

"Okay." He lowered his head in defeat and slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'll let you go then. If that's what you really want."

"It is."

"Will you at least be at work tomorrow?"

She stared at the ground and nodded. "I need to make a living."

"Would you maybe want to get dinner before your shift?" Rachel stared at him sternly. "Right, space. Sorry. I guess I'll see you at work then." Finn stepped forward and pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead. "Bye, Rachel."

Rachel watched Finn head up the stairs to the street above and turned back toward the platform to catch the train back home. She felt exhausted and it was only around four o'clock. Rachel couldn't remember ever feeling so drained, not even when she would get sick. Pregnancy and dealing with her feelings for Finn were a tough combination and she just wasn't sure how to handle either at the moment. She needed advice but as she had no close girlfriends of her own, Blaine being her only true confidant but not exactly being qualified to understand everything she was going through, and all the women who had offered help were through Finn, she wasn't sure just who to turn too. She hadn't known anyone who had ever found themselves in this situation. Rachel really needed someone to talk to in order to decipher her emotions on everything.

When she finally made it home, the apartment was empty save for Snickerdoodle, and Rachel dragged herself into her room. She threw her purse onto her desk but it toppled to the floor, spilling the contents and aggravating Rachel. Picking it up, Rachel threw all of her things back inside to organize later, until she noticed the pamphlet she had grabbed at her doctor's office.

It was like a sign she had forgotten about. There was an entire group of women who were in similar situations that she could receive advice from. Certainly one of the women, or the counselor herself, could offer a solution to her problem or at least help lead her to finding one on her own.

She grabbed the pamphlet and climbed into bed, reading the days and times the unwed and single mothers group met. Rachel sighed as she realized she was scheduled to work every time meetings took place but she could always schedule to meet with Dr. Pillsbury on her own…or ask Finn for the day off. She knew Finn would give whatever she asked to get back in her good graces, but she didn't want to abuse their relationship. It was tricky enough already and she didn't want to get Finn's hopes up only to refuse him later.

So it was settled. Rachel would call this Dr. Pillsbury and discuss setting up a meeting with her to get some clarity in her life. She just hoped she could get some answers before anything else in her life could go drastically awry.

* * *

This will probably be the end of relatively quick updates. School begins anew for me on Tuesday which means I will have less time for writing. I will definitely still be writing in my free time though so fret not, it will just take a little longer.


	10. The Reconciliation

"I think you're making a big mistake, Rachel," Blaine insisted to his stubborn cousin yet again. "Finn is a good guy and obviously cares about you." He packed his bag with his sheet music and slung it over his shoulder.

Rachel glared at him from the couch and continued to paint her nails. "How would you even know? You've met him three times."

"Because he knows about all your crazy and still wants to date you. He's only called a few dozen times asking about you. You keep saying you'll let him be in the baby's life but you keep pushing him away. He wants to take care of both of you."

"Last I checked the baby was still in utero so there is no reason I need to see Finn until my next appointment…or at work obviously."

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh? He's been nothing but great to you since he came back to raise the kid with you."

"You just…you don't get it," Rachel claimed, exasperated. She hadn't exactly told him the whole story and she didn't really want to.

"You're right, I don't. But I really don't have time to argue this with you right now. I have to get to class. I'll see you later." Blaine hugged Rachel goodbye over the back of the couch and left the apartment, leaving Rachel alone. She didn't have to work that day but her appointment with Dr. Pillsbury was coming up. With Blaine gone Rachel let her nails dry while she watched _Real Housewives_ then got dressed for her new daily yoga routine.

In the midst of her warm-up, there was a knock on the door interrupting the peace she was trying to achieve. Figuring it was a neighbor or the super, Rachel looked through the peephole and groaned when she saw who was outside.

"What part of 'I need space' do you not understand?" Rachel asked Finn bitterly when she opened the door and found him standing outside looking mildly out of breath.

"I've been giving you space. I even go out of my way at work not to speak or go near you to give you space and I've been doing it for over a week now. But I'm getting tired of waiting for you to get enough space."

"I'm not sure how you got in here but you should leave." She started closing the door but he put his hand out and gripped the edge to keep it open. Rachel could see his muscle ripple under his skin as he fought her for control and she felt a wanton pang below the belt. Even if her mind was in upheaval her body wasn't which just made her thoughts even more jumbled.

"I'm not leaving until I say what I came here to say, Rachel."

She crossed her arms over her middle and stepped back from the door. "Fine, but you're leaving once you've said your peace."

"Fine." He walked inside and closed the door behind him. Rachel sat down on the couch and Finn stood across the coffee table from her. "For the past week, I've been racking my brain trying to think of ways to prove to you how serious I am about you and our baby. I've been replaying everything that has happened between us over and over in my head and I know you've been hurt by what's gone down and I know it's partly my fault but you know what, this is partly your fault too."

"I know that, Finn."

"Are you sure you know that? Because you only seem to be blaming me for all of our combined problems, as well as your own."

"I'm not blaming you for my problems."

"You are a little bit. I was totally wrong when I walked out on you after you told me you were pregnant. You were right, that was a dick move, but the wedding and the night at your dads...that wasn't just me. You and I were both drunk at the wedding and we both screwed up that night and at your dads, you made the choice to come to my bed. _You_ initiated that. I know I sent you some mixed signals before but you weren't exactly straightforward either. One minute you say we're just friends, no interest in dating each other at all, then the next you're fucking me in my sleep! That's not exactly easy to read."

Rachel cringed at his crass analysis. She hadn't thought of it as 'fucking', more like 'love making' and that was part of the problem. "What is your point, Finn?"

"My point is that I've spent all week feeling guilty and like all of this is my fault but I'm not going to feel that way anymore. I made mistakes that could easily be fixed if you just gave me a chance. I'm human; I make mistakes, let me fix them instead of jumping to crazy conclusions before you even get the whole story. Some of this is on you too and I think you're being a bit ridiculous about what happened."

Rachel shot to her feet. "I'm being ridiculous? I think I'm being rational and trying to use my brain for once to figure out how I feel about you instead of just hopping into bed with you again. I need to do what is best for me and my baby-"

"_My_ baby?" Finn interrupted loudly, "I thought it was _our_ baby? Yours and mine?"

"It is...I-I misspoke."

Finn rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. "You know, Rachel, I'm really trying here but you're making it so difficult to be with you and it's just... Why do you always have to be so frustrating?"

Rachel hardened her stare at him. "If I'm so frustrating, why do you even bother with me? Why don't you just give up like you initially wanted to?"

"Because I didn't want to give up on you! After we first had sex, I wanted to apologize and ask you out but you wrote me off before I could. I gave up because I genuinely thought you didn't want me then. Then you told me you were pregnant and I ran because I was scared. But before you told me, I had showed up with the intention of leaving with you on my arm. I thought maybe I had gotten it wrong and you did want more. And when you let me back in, I tried to take things slow because I thought that was what you wanted and what would be best for everyone so I didn't push it. But now…I know you want more than friendship, I know I mean more to you than you're letting on. I can feel it.

"I've seen the woman underneath all the pain and worry and anger. The one who is lighthearted and forgiving and animated and can put a smile so big on my face that it literally hurts just by smiling first. That's the woman I am trying to reach here…the one that might understand that yes, I messed up, but I'm only human. I make mistakes but I am trying my damnedest to fix them. I want to be with you, Rachel, but I can't wait forever. This is hard for me too and it hurts just as much."

"Are you trying to give me an ultimatum?" Rachel asked incredulously.

Finn shook his head. "Yes. No. I don't know. I guess I just really want to know if I'll ever have a chance with you. A real one, where when I make a mistake, you won't overreact and jump to the worst conclusion. Where we can be a real couple, not just unexpected kisses and midnight romps that end with you hating me in the morning. If not…I need to be able to move on. So what I want from you is to just give me an answer. Do you want me like I want you or am I just going to be some guy you had a baby with?"

Tears were in Rachel's eyes and it broke his heart to see her crying again, but he couldn't allow her back and forth emotions to control him anymore. He loved Rachel but he couldn't live wondering for the rest of his life if she would talk to him again or not.

"I don't know if you really hate me or if it's your pregnancy hormones or just something else in you that is making you unsure about me, but I need you to dig deep and figure it out."

"I can't."

"You can't or won't?" he asked angrily.

"I just don't know! Every day I fight with myself over this…over you, and every day I come to the same conclusion."

Finn spoke slowly, stepping closer to Rachel. "And what is that?"

"I don't know."

He sighed deeply, disappointed with her response and rubbed his face before deciding to concede. "Okay…I'll give you until the end of the week and then that's it. I won't leave you alone with the baby, I'll always be there for him or her, but when it comes to you and me…we won't be anything. I'll leave you alone and we'll live as separate lives as possible."

"So you're going to abandon me again if I decide I don't want to be with you?" Tears spilled over and she choked on a sob. That was a pretty crappy ultimatum to give.

"I will never abandon you, if you need me I'm here, but I won't wait around for you. I'm going to live my life which means someday I might date another woman, I might marry her, have other kids with her, and if that happens I don't want you to be angry or jealous because I'm giving you the choice now. This is yours to make."

Rachel shook her head and plopped back on the couch. "You're giving me less than a week to decide my entire future. Dating or stranger. All or nothing. That hardly seems fair."

Finn knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her knees, rubbing them lightly for comfort. His face and voice softened as he spoke to her. "That isn't what I'm saying."

"It certainly sounds like it."

"All I'm asking for is a chance. Maybe we'll fail down the line – I don't know, I can't predict the future – but I think we could be something special if given the opportunity and something tells me that you thought that at one point too. I'm just asking for a chance to get that. I'm not ready to give up on the amazing woman who agreed to help out her boss when he acted like a bonehead, who blew away my family with her heart and sweet disposition, who rocked my world in every way, and I don't want you to give up on me yet. We don't need to jump right into anything big, we can take it slow, start fresh and rebuild from the bottom up. That's all I want – a fresh start with you."

Rachel hiccupped and wiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You're a very persistent man. My boyfriends didn't even try this hard."

Finn shrugged and quirked his eyebrow. "When something is this important to me, I don't give up easily. Nothing worth having is easy to get, and though you can be a total pain in the ass and a little brat sometimes, you're worth it. I've seen you at your best, when you're loose and carefree and I love that about you. I love when you're passionate, and even when I have no idea what you're talking about, you make me want to know with your enthusiasm." Finn's eyebrows dipped together and the corner of his mouth pulled up in concentration. "Those moments haven't been that often since you're usually mad at me, but if we can get past all the crap, I know we can get more good times than bad. Hell, even fighting with you isn't that bad. You're kinda cute when you're angry."

Rachel stared at him, her sniffles beginning to cease, and he wiped away a stray tear. He stood and looked down at her with a pensive stare, trying to get a read on if he had any impact on her at all. "That's what I came here to say. I'll leave to let you get on with your day." He gave her a tentative smile then let himself out while Rachel stayed motionless on the couch.

The day passed slowly as Rachel tried to occupy the hours before her appointment with Dr. Pillsbury with anything that wouldn't make her think of Finn. She needed a break from him until she could get an objective third party's opinion into the mix to help her make a truly informed decision. Rachel was interested to hear what Dr. Pillsbury would have to say about Finn's little speech and the whole debacle in general.

When her appointment time arrived, Rachel found herself escorted into the cleanest and tidiest office space she had ever seen. Everything was so meticulous, from the books being in perfect alphabetical order by author then title, down to the pencils sitting in an equally spaced row on the desk. When she noticed the multiple bottles of hand sanitizer about the room she wondered if the doctor had her own issues she dealt with.

"Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Emma Pillsbury," the woman greeted with a smile as she stood in front of her desk, motioning for Rachel to have a seat on the couch across from an oversized chair.

"Rachel Berry. It's nice to meet you." Not actually that nice considering the circumstances behind her attendance. But Rachel's first impression ideals weren't going to let her be rude.

"Please, have a seat." They both sat and made themselves comfortable while Dr. Pillsbury opened a notebook and uncapped a pen. "So, Rachel, how are you?"

It was such a simple question but the most difficult to formulate an answer for. Rachel cleared her throat and started simple. "I've been better."

Dr. Pillsbury nodded. "What's been going on?"

"Quite a bit actually. A little over three weeks ago now I found out I was pregnant from a one-night stand with my boss and I'm keeping the baby but it's caused a lot of problems in my life. While I've always appreciated a fair amount of drama to keep life interesting, this is beyond anything I had ever imagined for myself."

"Why don't you explain what's going on?"

Dr. Pillsbury sat in silence, her face betraying no emotion as she listened to Rachel's story about Finn and the baby from the beginning. It took nearly the entire hour Rachel had with the doctor to explain it all in the amount of detail necessary to understand where Rachel was coming from completely. The whole time, Dr. Pillsbury only nodded occasionally and scribbled in her notebook, crossing and uncrossing her legs and applying hand sanitizer generously and using hand wipes to clean her pen. Rachel tried to get a read on her, but her face remained impassive.

"And then he left. Then I came here to tell you all of this and get your thoughts on my situation. I could really use an outsider's level headed opinion."

Dr. Pillsbury nodded again and for the first time, put the notebook down and uncrossed her legs to lean closer to Rachel. "If you were to make a decision about Finn right now, forget about everything else, just answer, what would you do?"

"I don't know."

The woman looked at her skeptically. "I think you do."

"But I don't. I go back and forth between the pros and cons all the time…"

"Rachel, have you ever thought that perhaps you're sabotaging yourself?"

"Why would I sabotage myself?"

"Because you're scared of failing again and if you never try, then you can't fail. Have you been in a serious relationship before?"

Rachel nodded her head. "One in high school and one in college."

"How did those work for you? Were they healthy relationships?"

Rachel thought back on her boyfriends and their histories. "They started out great. Both of them seemed like perfect gentlemen, we had everything in common, we were so close, but then…they found something better and they left me for it."

The woman smiled sympathetically. "I'd be willing to bet that is one reason you're looking for anything you can find to convince yourself that Finn will do the same so you can heal your heart before it gets broken. It's a defense mechanism. You may be doing it subconsciously and not even realize it. You opened your heart to those other men and got hurt and now you're afraid it will happen again, but this time there's so much more at stake. You might consciously believe one thing, feel one way, but subconsciously you feel and believe differently. I can understand your reluctance to trust Finn after he left you at the restaurant, but he did come back. From what you said, he's been supportive and helpful since then and willing to do whatever it takes. There is no guarantee that you won't get hurt again if you open your heart one more time, but there is also a chance that you could find true happiness. I wouldn't advise jumping right into a relationship with Finn, but to take it slow, start with friendship again. You need to set strong foundations if you want to build the relationship.

"Plus it can't hurt to be friendly with the father of your child. I deal with young pregnant women on a daily basis. I've seen the hardships they go through, how alone they can be when they have no families or the father of their baby abandons them. If you can mend fences with Finn, I wouldn't be surprised if you felt less conflicted. This can be a very emotional time for a woman, even if prepared to have a baby. You can't forget that your hormones are coming into effect as well and they can tend to rule our thoughts. Whatever decision you make about Finn, make sure it's your brain making them and not your body. You won't be pregnant and hormonal forever, but you will have to deal with Finn for at least the next 18 years and you have the power to decide how you want to spend those years with him."

It was Rachel's turn to sit quietly and nod. Finn and Dr. Pillsbury both had good points and if she wanted to make the right decision for her and the baby, she needed to think clearly. When she thought back on it, she wasn't sure that she had. Rachel did have the tendency to overreact and blow minor discrepancies out of proportion and with her body experiencing so many changes and her rational mind unable to keep up perhaps she hadn't been making the best decisions. Now that she had been confronted by Finn and talked with Dr. Pillsbury, Rachel thought back on her actions through a different lens, a more objective lens.

Perhaps she had been rather quick to write Finn off to begin with, not even giving him a chance to explain himself, perhaps she should have taken his feelings into account and not been so selfish to believe she was the only one being taken advantage of. She should give him the benefit of the doubt. Just because Rachel had never drunk enough to lose memories didn't mean others hadn't, just because she could remember events that happened while drowsy in the night upon waking didn't mean everyone could. After all, he was drunk and asleep the two times they had been physically intimate and when they had their conversation the morning after, Finn hadn't exactly been awake then either. They hadn't been the most opportune moments to make life altering decisions.

"Well, Rachel, our hour is up. If you're interested I do run a group specifically for single and unwed mothers on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays if you'd like to get the perspectives of others in similar situations. Obviously everything we just discussed now is confidential so anything they learn about you will be at your discretion and it's completely free. Many women who have joined the group have found it beneficial for their overall well-being."

Rachel wasn't sure if she would need the group anymore but she wasn't closing the door on it entirely. "I might go to tomorrow's group. It could be informative."

"Good. Everyone there is very willing to help and give advice and tips. Even if you and Finn do work things out, it still might be a good experience for you to partake in."

"Thank you for your help. It was quite eye opening."

"I'm glad I could be of service. I will see you tomorrow at group then." Dr. Pillsbury smiled warmly at her before opening the door and escorting her out.

As Rachel left the building in the direction of home, she deliberated over everything Finn and Dr. Pillsbury had said. She was finally realizing just how harshly she had been treating Finn still after everything he had done to improve their situation and how she had been expecting so much from Finn in such a short amount of time. There was an attraction between them but it had been unspoken until the day after she rushed them into sex again. They had never discussed their feelings openly and that was really the crux of the problem. They kept denying themselves the conversation, claiming friendship to be the only solution, and then fell into bed together unexpectedly only to end up in the same place they had started – with hurt feelings and arguments when simple communication could have saved them all the trouble.

It was time to own up to her mistakes, stop blaming Finn for her own issues, and give him the real chance he craved. If she really wanted to do what was best for their baby, what was best for her, she needed to be straight with him in every way.

Marching to his loft, Rachel forgave him all his faults and swore to strike the record. They both needed clean slates and to disregard the past to even stand a chance in the future. When she entered his building and took the elevator up to his floor, Rachel took a deep breath and prepared to meet Finn Hudson for the first time as a new Rachel Berry.

She knocked on the door and Finn answered moments later looking a little bewildered at her sudden appearance in his doorway.

"Hi! I'm Rachel Berry," she started, putting her hand out for a handshake and only receiving a cocked eyebrow and an uncertain stare in return.

He cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know who you are, Rachel."

"No, you don't. You know post-conception Rachel – the crazy, jump-to-conclusions, hormone-ruled Rachel who wasn't being very fair. I want you to meet the real Rachel – a combination of a pre-conception Rachel and a new self-aware Rachel."

Finn seemed confused but just shook his head and stepped out of the way. "Whichever Rachel you are, would you like to come inside? I'd rather not have this conversation in the hall."

Rachel stepped into the familiar apartment and turned back to face Finn as he closed the door behind her. "I want to apologize. You were right. I've been blaming you for my issues and I've been looking for reasons not to let you in. I didn't realize I was even doing it, but once it was pointed out to me that I might be…it made sense." She sat down on his couch and he joined her, staring at the wall as she spoke. "I've been in two major relationships my entire life and both ended with the guy leaving me. Almost every friend I made in high school and college has moved on and stopped talking to me for some reason or another. Even my own mother left me, twice. There have only been three people who have always been there for me, my dads and Blaine. Then everything with you…I was looking for reasons to push you away before you could leave me first…leave me again actually." Finn swallowed thickly.

"If I really were being rational, I might have figured out that my actions were just as damaging to you as yours were to me. You tried to tell me how you felt but I shot you down before you could after Santana's wedding because I had already assumed how you felt. I told you again and again I didn't want to be with you then snuck into your bedroom and had my way with you while you were half asleep and expected you not to be confused. We've both been sending each other mixed signals and it's done nothing but complicate this relationship. I think we need to tell the truth, no-holds barred, true communication."

"I already told you how I felt. Everything I said this morning was the truth," Finn replied.

Rachel nodded in understanding. "Okay, then I'll tell you the truth. Before you asked me to pretend to be your girlfriend…I had no interest in dating you. I may have thought about what it would be like to be the girl on your arm at closing time, but that was just silly fantasy. I really wasn't interested in you. But then we got to know each other a little better for Santana's wedding and I realized I was starting to like you. Then we slept together. I regretted it because I knew then that I wanted more from you, but when you woke up and seemed so put off by the thought of us having sex, I didn't think you felt the same so I tried to forget about you. Then I found out I was pregnant and when you reacted poorly I tried to harden my heart further but you wormed your way back in. I still had all of those feelings for you but I thought you didn't feel the same. But we shared that kiss and I thought maybe you did care so I gave myself to you. I wanted to be with you, as your girlfriend, and I wanted to talk to you about possibly making that happen, but then you woke up and it was like it never happened. I just lost it again. I can't keep giving away my heart only to have it shattered to bits. But the only reason it's happened so many times with you is because neither of us have been honest. We've fought our feelings then given in at inconvenient times."

"So what are you saying exactly?" Rachel could tell hope was filling Finn again but he was trying to stave it off.

"I'm saying…I don't know if we'll ever be true love, if we can make a relationship work, but maybe if we can wipe the slate clean and start anew, we can get there. We need to go slow and take our time because I want this to work. I think we _can_ work if we take the time to grow together. Rushing has done nothing good for us so far, so we really need to commit to slow and steady. Can we do that? Can you forget about crazy Rachel and give me a fresh start?

Finn contemplated Rachel's request before smiling softly at her and taking her hand in his. "You're going to give me another shot?"

"I'm giving _us_ another shot. Maybe not as a couple yet, but as close companions building toward something bigger."

"You think we could ever be something bigger?"

"I do."

Finn gripped Rachel's hand and began to shake it. "I'm Finn Hudson. It's nice to meet you Rachel Berry."

Rachel giggled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "How do you feel about pizza?"

"I love pizza almost as much as I love oxygen."

"Would you like to get a slice and get reacquainted?"

"You won't throw up this time will you?"

Rachel shook her head and stood up. "My nausea has subsided significantly and since eating that meat filled sushi last week I've kinda ditched my diet and began eating meat regularly. The cravings were just too powerful to ignore. I forgot how much I love pepperoni."

"Something tells me we're having a little carnivore." Finn chuckled and got to his feet before a serious line creased his forehead. "Are you sure about me? Is this really what you want?"

"We've both made mistakes, but we've both seen sides of each other that are bigger than the mistakes. I'm not ready to give up on you yet."

"I really am sorry for everything."

"And I am too. But it's water under the bridge. We both have to make better choices now. We have to be completely honest with each other, I need to work on not letting my body control my mind and emotions, and we both need to control our libidos. Sex complicates everything and we need to be in a better place before we can get to that intimacy again. We need emotional intimacy first."

"So, are we like, pre-dating or something? What are we doing?"

Rachel thoughtfully tapped her chin as she stared off thinking about it. "For now, let's just agree to be there for each other emotionally. Like…more than friends who are having a baby together yet are not officially dating but aren't seeing other people either."

"So pre-dating?"

She sighed. "If that is what you would like to call it, I suppose we are pre-dating."

He grinned at her. "Cool. Does pre-dating at least earn us a kiss?"

"To be safe let's start with a hug."

They wrapped their arms around each other and as she inhaled his distinct Finn scent, Rachel wondered how long it would be before pre-dating turning into real dating or more. His body never failed to get her hot under the collar and cloud her mind with lust.

Finn's stomach growled then and Rachel stepped back to look at his belly. "While I really love this intimacy, I'd really love to get intimate with a Hawaiian pizza. Are you ready to eat?" Finn asked, rubbing his grumbly tummy.

Rachel giggled and grabbed Finn's hand to head out.

"Thank you, Rachel, for forgiving me and giving me chance. I won't let you regret it."

"Thank you for not giving up on me. I know I can be intense and stubborn and that's off-putting for a lot of people. It really means a lot that you've tried so hard. I promise I will try to make it easier."

Finn shrugged and draped his arm around Rachel's shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "I think we can do this, Rachel. I know we can."

As they walked hand in hand to Finn's favorite pizzeria, for the first time in over a week, Rachel felt confident that the future could only get better.

* * *

And so Finn and Rachel begin anew.


	11. The Ex

I know I said I would update Dates next, but this chapter just flowed out of me and onto my laptop. Enjoy!

* * *

"Thanks for driving us, Noah. The PATH train is not stable enough to carry all my baked goods," Rachel said as she juggled three pies in her arms in the middle row of seating in Puck and Quinn's Honda Odyssey. Finn sat in the front seat holding a large tray of cookies and a strawberry cake and cupcakes were nestled in the trunk so they wouldn't move on the drive. They were on their way to the Berrys' annual Fourth of July party and Rachel had been tasked with providing dessert for nearly seventy people.

Finn had suggested hiring Marisol, his pastry chef at the restaurant, to make the desserts to ease the burden a bit and save on time since she had a professional grade kitchen to work with, but Rachel had insisted. She loved to bake and said it calmed her nerves. When she suggested he assist her and be the official taste tester, Finn agreed and ended up having a great time baking with her.

They talked about them and their future together and the baby and fought over what to name him or her until it turned into a food fight. Finn was white as a ghost with flour all over his face and Rachel had blueberries down her shirt. When they started cleaning up, Rachel licked the cherry syrup off her fingers then popped a cherry in her mouth. Though she didn't mean it to be seductive, he was sure, Little Finn wasn't seeing it that way. Then she demonstrated how she could tie a knot in the stem with her tongue and Finn nearly creamed his pants thinking about what she could do to his stem with that tongue. He had never known baking could be so erotic.

But when the playful giggling turned into intense stares and feathery caresses along heated skin, just before Finn could make his move and kiss Rachel, she pulled away and acted like nothing had happened. She shooed him to the bathroom to wash the flour off while she took care of cleaning up the messy kitchen and Finn tried to get her back, but she insisted.

Finn shrugged it off since when he returned from the bathroom, Rachel seemed chipper again and was still talking to him. They grabbed a few of the chocolate chip cookies that had cooled and joined each other on the couch to snuggle. It was nice but confusing. She was fine cuddling with him, and during hugs, but whenever they started to go beyond that Rachel withdrew. He didn't understand why she was so reluctant to take their relationship further already. It had been three weeks since they had started pre-dating and Finn had assumed by now they'd be to official dating, or at least to a kissing stage, but it seemed she was adamant about going very slow.

Back in the present, Puck replied to Rachel's appreciation. "It's not like I really had a choice. If I didn't help out Quinn wouldn't have put out."

"Puck!" Quinn chastised from the last row of seating where she was sitting with Beth, each holding pies. Rachel had really gone all out.

"I'm kidding. Everyone knows you can't resist my guns." He flexed his muscle and kissed his bicep.

"Dada, I gotta pee-pee!" Ben announced from his car seat next to Rachel.

Puck looked at his son in the rearview mirror. "Can you hold it, buddy? We're almost to the tunnel."

"Nooo! I gotta go now!" He started kicking violently and squirming in his seat.

"Fine," Puck grumbled, and pulled up to the nearest Starbucks.

Quinn started unbuckling until Rachel beat her to it. "I can take him. I actually have to go myself."

"You just went like ten minutes ago," Finn added, turning back to look at her.

"In case you've forgotten I'm pregnant and pregnant women pee often. I have to go." She looked back at Quinn. "I need the practice. It's really not a problem."

Quinn shook her head with a skeptical smile. "If you want… He can be a bit persnickety about using the big boy potty, but as long as you put his seat on, he'll be fine." She handed Rachel the bag with his portable seat and she unbuckled the boy, taking him out of the car and quickly running into the coffee shop.

Rachel cleaned off the seat and put Ben's smaller seat over the top feeling proud of herself for volunteering to handle the toddler. In a few short years she would be dealing with potty training with her own child and she figured it would be best to start learning as soon as possible.

She turned back to Ben with a smile, ready to help him get his pants and Pull-Ups down to get him on the toilet when her mouth dropped in horror. Ben had tugged them down himself and had begun peeing against the wall, drawing shapes with his stream. He seemed quite pleased with himself until Rachel shrieked at him to stop. Unfortunately, this only startled the boy and he turned to pee on her feet.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" Rachel whined, shaking her hands and hustling to the sink, grabbing a multitude of paper towels. She kicked her sandals off and started scrubbing them down until she noticed Ben pulling foot after foot of toilet paper out of the dispenser. "Benjamin! You don't need that much toilet paper!"

He just looked up at her indifferently before wiping his crotch with some of the toilet paper and smearing the rest along the walls to dry up the urine. At least he knew to clean up after himself.

"All gone!" he crowed, throwing the paper to the floor and penguin walking his way over to Rachel. He wagged his privates at her. "W'ach, puwl up!" He motioned for her to lift his Pull-Ups and shorts. Rachel obliged and as she leaned forward, he tugged at the low neck of her blouse.

"No! Benjamin, we don't pull other people's clothes."

"Milk!" he yelled.

Rachel's eyes widened as she realized what he was getting at. "No, these are not for you. You need to talk to your mommy about that, but I think you're a little old for the breast stuff anyway." He pouted and tried to pull at her shirt again but she grabbed his hand. "Let's wash your hands. We need to get rid of the germs so you don't get sick."

He fussed as she used soap and water to clean his little hands but once he was dressed and cleaned, she finished washing her own sandals and did a thorough scrubbing of her feet. By the time she was done cleaning the wall, her bladder felt ready to burst.

"Le's go!" Ben called out, heading for the door. Except Rachel was still in the middle of her business and not ready to go at all.

"Benjamin, no!" But it was in vain. Ben had opened the door wide for the patrons of Starbucks to see. Even more humiliating was the man standing in the foreground.

Finn stood shocked as he saw Rachel until he averted his eyes, grabbed the wandering toddler, and shut the door for her. Rachel held her head in her hands, humiliation coursing through her. She could never seem to catch a break.

After fighting to keep her tears of frustration at bay, she exited the restroom, stoic and with her head held high. Finn was waiting outside the bathroom, holding a chattering Ben in his arms as he waited for her.

"What are you doing in here?"

"You were taking a really long time so I thought I'd check on you. It's a good thing I did. You okay?"

"A toddler just bested me at control. I've been better."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who noticed you and I've already seen it all. Besides, I didn't even really see anything."

Rachel rubbed her forehead. "This is so embarrassing. Even men I dated for years never saw me like that."

"If you want you can watch me pee to make us even," he offered, a grin in his voice.

Rachel looked disgusted. "That's gross, Finn. I'm fine without seeing that, thank you. I've seen enough penises for today."

"Yeah, but the kid's isn't that impressive. Mine is way better. You're welcome to see it anytime you want, I'll even allow you to play with it." He winked flirtatiously at her and she rolled her eyes.

"That wouldn't exactly be taking it slow, now would it?" She tilted her head and scrunched her eyebrows. Rachel started for the door, but turned back around to face Finn as she continued backwards. "But you should keep that offer on the table." She winked back at him and pushed the door open with her backside before stepping out to the sidewalk.

Finn looked at the boy in his arms and sighed. "That woman can give a man the worst case of blue balls…"

"I haf a red ball!" Finn laughed and rubbed Ben's head before exiting the building and getting back into the car where Rachel was informing Quinn and Puck of what their son had done.

"This is why Finn and I need to have a girl," Rachel exclaimed as they pulled back onto the road. "You don't see little girls peeing on walls."

"My boy prefers to stand up and go. Is that a crime?" Puck said with fatherly pride.

"He peed on the wall! It's gross! Would you let him do that at home?"

"He's got his own potty at home. He doesn't need the wall. Plus, girls got their own problems. You know how many times I caught Beth playing with Quinn or Santana's make-up and had to toss her in the tub and get screeched at about washing her 'pretty colors' off?"

Rachel chuckled. "That still seems easier than getting peed on."

As the group debated the pros and cons of each sex from infancy into adulthood, they continued on their way to Newark and when they finally arrived at the Berrys, they were greeted by dozens of cars parked along the street and the sounds of a barbecue in full swing in the backyard of the large house.

As they walked up the driveway, Leroy rushed from the garage to greet his daughter and take the pies she carried from her hands. "Hello, hello!" He kissed her cheek and smiled broadly down at her. "We've missed you."

"I missed you too. Where's Papa?"

"Inside working the blender. He's insistent on playing bartender today to monitor Aunt Deb. She's supposed to be on the wagon again, but since she's fallen off three times already…"

Leroy turned to Finn and put his hand out, shaking Finn's in greeting. "Good to see you again, Finn. I'm glad that you've held true to your word and stuck around."

Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel's waist, lightly caressing the side of her expanded bump, and smiled down at the tiny woman. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm happy to hear it. And who might these fine looking people be?" Leroy asked of the Puckermans.

"Dad, this is Noah and Quinn Puckerman and their children Beth and Ben. Noah is Finn's best friend and owns Hudson's with him. He actually hired me."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all. We'd love to get to know Rachel's, and Finn's, friends from the city more. Come on in." They walked further down the driveway and found nearly the entirety of Rachel's family and neighbors littering the yard.

"Is that a bounce house?" Beth inquired of Leroy as they approached the food table to put Rachel's baked goods in the proper place.

Leroy glanced down at her. "Why yes it is, sweetheart. Feel free to play with any of the equipment around. We have plenty of activities. Just take your shoes off for the bounce house."

Beth looked up at her father imploringly to be sure she was allowed and he nudged her toward the bounce house. She took off like a rocket after that and ripped her shoes off to throw herself through the tiny entrance.

"Is there an age or weight limit for that thing?" Finn inquired.

Leroy shook his head. "Not really."

Finn looked back at Rachel. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Go have fun. But try not to hurt any of the children!" she called after him as he ran toward the structure like a giddy five year old.

"Babe, take him." Puck handed his son over to Quinn.

"Why?"

"I need to go kick Hudson's ass at wrestling." Puck chased after him and once they were both inside, they began beating the crap out of each other.

As for Rachel, she spent the majority of the next half hour prowling the food table for an acceptable meal. Having allowed a pregnancy long reprieve in her vegetarian diet, Rachel was enjoying eating meat again, despite feeling somewhat guilty. Finn tried to ebb her shame at enjoying eating the poor defenseless animals by reminding her that their baby needed the protein the meat easily provided so that he or she could grow and be healthy. When she thought about it that way, Rachel didn't feel as bad. When it came to her flesh and blood she would do anything to protect it and see that it was healthy and cared for.

By the time she had gorged herself fully, she had devoured a hamburger, a kosher hotdog, a large bowl of fruit, a fried chicken thigh, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and an ear of corn. Once the morning sickness had passed, it was as if her body was doubling its caloric intake to make up for all it lost in the weeks previous.

She sat on the patio under the awning, rubbing her rounded belly in content, full of food and happiness. Finn was still in the bounce house playing with Beth and Ben who were having a grand time whacking him with foam bats and jumping on him to make him fall over. After a while even Rachel's younger cousins began to get in on the fun at Puck's urgency. He guffawed raucously as he watched the seven kids dog pile his best friend until Finn surfaced like a beast, roaring loudly and pounding on his chest like King Kong. He picked Ben and Beth up, throwing them each over a shoulder and started spinning around with them until they all fell over, landing in a fit of giggles.

Rachel bit her lip and grinned to herself as she watched Finn interact with Beth and Ben, and even her cousins. He was a natural with children and they really seemed to like him too. It put Rachel at ease seeing him this way with them and she knew in her heart he would be even better with their child. No matter what happened with them down the line, at least she could count on Finn to be a fantastic father.

"Well, well, well…is that a smile I see on your face?" Blaine inquired as he joined Rachel at the table on the porch. He sat down next to her, grinning like a fool. "And am I mistaken or is _Finn_ the one putting it there?" Rachel's cheeks pinked and she stared down at the table shyly. "Blush? So I'm right. I knew if you just gave Finn a chance you'd realize what a great guy he is. It's nice to see a genuine smile on your face again."

She turned her gaze back to Finn in the bounce house and found he was staring back at her. He waved and smiled before being tackled from behind by Beth. Rachel chuckled and ran her hand over her belly. "I was making a mistake before but I realize that now. I was wrong to write him off so fast and I've never been happier to be proven that way."

"Do I need a hearing aid or did Rachel Berry just admit to being wrong?"

"It does happen on occasion." Placing her elbow on the table and resting her head on her hand, Rachel decided to change the subject briefly. "So, um, Finn's family is coming later. Burt had to go to the Mayor's party or something earlier, but the Hummels will be stopping by sometime after four. I really think you should meet Finn's brother."

Blaine shook his head. "I don't need you to set me up with anyone. I'm capable of getting my own dates."

"I know that. I simply think you two will get along. He's into fashion, you're into fashion, he loves Broadway, you love Broadway, you have a crush on Taylor Lautner, he has a crush on Taylor Lautner. Seems like a match made in heaven to me."

"Rachel, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but…"

"But what? You encouraged me to open myself up to Finn and now I'm with a great man who I can see a future with. I just want to return the favor."

Blaine eyed her wearily before acquiescing. "Fine. I will say hello and if there is any spark, I'll think about it."

Rachel clapped happily. "Yay! Wouldn't it be fun if you and Kurt dated and Finn and I dated and we went on double dates?! I've never been on a double date before."

Suddenly Blaine looked nervous as his focus shifted to something behind Rachel. "Speaking of dates…" He pointed toward what he was looking at and when Rachel turned in her seat to see what he was mentioning, her heart slammed to a stop before pounding rapidly in her chest. "What is he doing here?"

Rachel pushed up to her feet and tried to escape, but couldn't move fast enough around the table before her first ex-boyfriend spotted her. Not wanting him to see her swollen belly just yet, she sat back down in her seat and pulled her chair forward so her stomach was hidden by the table.

"I'm getting out of here before this gets any worse," Blaine stated, slipping out of his chair.

"Blaine, don't you leave me here alone! Blaine!" Rachel hissed back at him, until he was into the garage.

"Rachel? Is that you?" Jesse St. James asked, sounding amazed. "Wow! You look…absolutely stunning as always."

"Thank you, Jesse," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "How long has it been?"

"Seven years."

He let out a low whistle. "Really? Seven years? I can't believe I've been in Los Angeles for seven years."

"What are you doing here, Jesse?" Rachel asked, wondering what he was doing at her home for the first time since he left for college all those years ago. Once severing ties, they hadn't kept in touch at all, Rachel only learning about his life through his parents and siblings on special occasions, and when she happened to see him playing a gay drug addicted teenager on a melodramatic daytime soap opera while channel surfing one afternoon junior year of college.

"I was invited. My family comes to this barbecue every year. My parents are over there and Jenna and Jackson are talking with your neighbor. You can't have missed them?"

"No, them I saw. But you…you've been gone for seven years and now you just show up out of the blue at my family's picnic like nothing has happened?"

"It isn't out of the blue. I RSVPed to this event a few weeks ago. I would have thought your fathers would have told you. I moved to Manhattan nearly three months ago to begin work on a new musical. While I enjoyed my stint on daytime television and winning a Daytime Emmy is a great achievement, the stage is my true passion and I've always aimed for a Tony. I can't get a Tony in Los Angeles and I was first choice for the lead role. My music theory professor wrote the musical and he sought me out specifically."

Rachel had to admit she was impressed. He had successfully entered the entertainment industry and had already won a major award. It may have only been a Daytime Emmy, but it was more than Rachel could say she had garnered in her career thus far. And now he was set to star in a new original musical which she was sure he would end up nominated for. When it came to Jesse St. James his talent was boundless and abundant and his passion and drive rivaled Rachel's every step.

"Congratulations."

He nodded in thanks. "Thank you. What about you? I heard from my mother that you graduated from NYADA last year. That's impressive."

"Yes. My four years there were grueling and more challenging than I could ever have envisioned, but so rewarding. I feel like a much better performer for having gone through it. Unfortunately, my breakout role and I have eluded each other so far. I've only been in a few Off-Off Broadway productions in the past year and now I'm taking some time off."

Jesse seemed surprised by this news. "Why would you take time off now? This is when you need to get out there most. Don't give up just because you haven't hit your stride yet. Even though I still have no idea why, there were quite a few auditions I did not get callbacks for before I finally got the part of Gray on Heartless. And then I won an Emmy."

"A Daytime Emmy."

"Still an Emmy. My point is, don't give up on your dream."

Rachel sighed and looked over at the bounce house. Finn was no longer inside it but instead making up a plate at the food table. "I'm not giving up on my dream. My dream is still very much alive and I plan on pursuing it again once I can, but life has become more complicated in recent months and I need to take time away from auditioning to focus on me."

"But Broadway is you, you are Broadway. We may not have spoken in years, but I know you wouldn't let anything stand in your way. What could possibly be going on in your life that you would let Broadway fall to the wayside?" She shook her head, not wanting to delve into the details with her ex-boyfriend she hadn't spoken to in seven years. "Rachel, you can talk to me. We've been friends for years."

"No we haven't. We have been nothing for nearly a decade."

He looked at her like she couldn't be serious. "Rachel, I've known you since you were born. Yes, we've drifted apart but I'm still your oldest friend."

"Drifted apart? Are you serious right now?" Jesse seemed confused. "We didn't drift apart, Jesse. You cut me out without so much as a goodbye. You left for school and stayed gone. You promised me you would visit during breaks, and call me, and we'd make our relationship work long distance, but two months in you stopped calling and stopped answering when I called. I sent you texts, emails, left messages and posts on your Facebook. I went insane trying to contact you until I learned from Jackson that you had a new girlfriend in L.A. You abandoned our relationship – you abandoned me – to start sleeping with the girl casting the first production you starred in at school. I understand that college and distance can change people, and if you had just had the common decency to tell me you wanted out and actually break up with me, I might have forgiven you and even understood. You were in college and I was still in high school. I knew there was a chance we wouldn't last, but I never wanted to stop being your friend. But instead, you let the silent treatment do the work for you so you wouldn't have to deal with the consequences and in so doing lost all respect I had for you as a human being and a man. So no, you are not my friend, Jesse, and excuse me if I don't want to tell you the personal details of my private life."

The anger rose rapidly in Rachel and she suddenly found herself sweating in rage. She had been holding that speech inside for the past seven years and she hadn't meant for it all to come streaming out, thinking she had finally gotten over being ditched, but apparently the wound was still open.

But now that it was off her chest, as she stared at her first boyfriend, her first love, she realized she was over it. The world hadn't ended with Jesse and now she was with Finn who was treating her much better than Jesse ever had. Perhaps Finn's vocal talent wasn't as honed as Jesse's, and he would never be as graceful on his feet, and perhaps Finn grated on Rachel's nerves more often than Jesse did, and they tended to argue more than when she was with Jesse, but Finn was twice the man Jesse was in every respect. He didn't leave her behind and he fought harder for her than anyone ever had. Finn treated Rachel with respect and caring and actually took her opinion and feelings into account. Jesse may have been Rachel's perfect match in theory, but in practice, Rachel found Finn far outshone Jesse.

"You were my first everything, Jesse. I loved you, in some weird way I probably always will, but you broke my heart. I don't hate you anymore, I've grown past it, but we're never going to get back to where we were. We've both changed and become different people."

"I am so sorry for what I did to you, Rachel. I was selfish and an ass. I was so concerned with getting ahead at school to get ahead in life that I forgot about everything else. This place, you, were like a hazy dream once I got to L.A. I never wanted to hurt you. I just got caught up in myself and didn't think about how much I was hurting you." She didn't reply and Jesse continued, tentatively placing his hand over hers. "But like you said, we've both changed. Maybe the people we are now would be better suited for a relationship than the people we were then."

Rachel's forehead crinkled as her eyes narrowed at the man next to her. "Are you really trying to ask me out right now? Jesse, I just told you-"

"Rachel, it's been seven years. Can't we put the past in the past in try to be something more again?"

"No," she stated bluntly. "Jesse, I have a boyfriend, a really great boyfriend, and I'm not interested in dating you again."

"Y-you have a boyfriend?"

She nodded her head and pointed toward Finn walking in their direction looking suspicious of the man next to her. "We've been together for just over three weeks now." She bit her lip, reminiscing in how well their relationship had been since starting over.

Jesse snorted and laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Three weeks. It can't be all that serious yet after three weeks. You're really going to let a three week old relationship trump our entire history together?"

"Jesse, we are done."

"Hey Rachel," Finn greeted, side glancing at Jesse before sitting on Rachel's other side in the seat Blaine had vacated. "Who's your friend?"

"He isn't my friend," she snapped at him. She didn't mean to be so vicious to Finn, he hadn't done anything wrong, but Jesse had rubbed her the wrong way and now she was in a foul mood. Speaking with more calm, she elaborated, "This is Jesse St. James. His parents are friends of my parents." The last part she added grudgingly. "He was my first boyfriend."

Finn visibly tensed at the admission and the piece of macaroni salad stuck to his fork plopped back onto his plate before it could reach his agape mouth.

Jesse put on a show face and reached over the table to offer his hand to Finn. "Jesse St. James. Perhaps you've heard of me? I played Gray on Heartless for three years. Won an Emmy for it."

"A Daytime Emmy," Rachel added to knock him down a peg.

"_Still_ an _Emmy_," he said, his smile never wavering.

Finn shrugged. "Can't say that I have. I think soap operas are kinda lame."

Jesse's plastered smile faltered minutely. "And who are you exactly?"

"Finn Hudson. I'm Rachel's…" He wasn't entirely sure what to call himself in regards to Rachel.

"Boyfriend," she provided hastily. "The best boyfriend ever." She patted his knee and smiled at him, biting her lower lip playfully.

He nodded along and smiled hesitantly back. "Yep."

"And what do you do, Finn Hudson?" Jesse eyed him like he was a bug he wanted to squash.

"I own a restaurant. Hudson's Bar and Grille in NoHo. Perhaps you've heard of it? Won Best Burger in New York State three years running from the New York Beef Industry Council."

"He beat out a few hundred restaurants for the honor. I finally tried the burger and it is…words cannot describe this burger, it is that amazing. I don't even generally like beef but this was so juicy and tender and the spices…" Rachel's mouth was watering just thinking about it.

"It makes love to your taste buds. That was what the magazine wrote about it anyway," Finn said with a modest shrug.

Jesse's nostrils flared but the façade was beginning to break. "It must be a hell of a burger to get Rachel to break her diet. Last I knew she was a vegetarian for moral reasons."

"I still am against meat. I just have a condition in which I need to eat it for a while."

"I wouldn't call pregnancy a condition. That makes it sound like a disease or something," Finn said absent-mindedly, stuffing his forkful of goulash into his mouth.

Rachel froze and Jesse's mouth fell open in shock. "Pregnancy?!" he cried out, shooting up from his seat. "You're pregnant?!"

She swallowed thickly and held her head high. "Yes. I am pregnant. I see no reason why you should care as it has nothing to do with you."

"You didn't tell him you're pregnant?" Finn asked.

"It's none of his business. I never plan on seeing him again after this."

"So that's why you're throwing your dream away and letting your career go down the tubes. You're having a baby?"

"I'm not throwing anything away. My path has changed but that doesn't mean the destination has."

"You've been dating him three weeks and you think you're ready to have his baby?!" he spit at her. "Rachel, think about what you're doing!"

She rose to her full height and Jesse's eyes fell to the bump that could be seen under Rachel's shorts and blouse. "I have thought about it. I've done nothing but think about it again and again for the past seven weeks! You have no right to judge me for this or be outraged. It doesn't concern you in the least."

"But it is concerning. You have too much to offer the world to throw it away on some oaf who isn't even smart enough to figure out how a condom works and his little bast-"

"I swear to God if you finish that sentence I will tear your limbs off!" Finn threatened, rising to his feet and nearly knocking the table over in the process. He shoved the patio furniture out of his way and loomed over Jesse. "You will apologize to my girlfriend right now for upsetting her then you're going to get your pretentious ass out of here or I will put my fist through your face. You better hope your health insurance covers reconstructive surgery because you'll need it if we have to take this there."

Finn watched Jesse's eyes widen in fear with the threat of physical violence to his face and could hear him swallow the lump in his throat.

"I am sorry for upsetting you, Rachel. It was just unexpected news to hear from you of all people. I hope you can forgive me for my outburst." Jesse said it for Rachel but didn't dare take his eyes off Finn.

"Now look at her and use those acting skills to make it actually sound convincing."

His head swiveled to Rachel who was pissed as she stood there cradling her bump. "My sincerest apologies, Rachel. I didn't mean to hurt or upset you. I wish you luck in motherhood and hope for all the best in your relationship with Finn." He flashed her a weak smile before backing away from Finn and heading for the glass doors to enter the house.

Once Jesse was gone, Finn turned around and discovered that nearly everyone at the party was staring at them. Apparently when he shoved the patio furniture away, the table toppled a chair over, crashing through the trellis on the edge of the patio.

"Would you mind explaining why you are damaging my property?!" Hiram yelled at Finn as he stomped up to him angrily. Finn could tell where Rachel got her anger from.

"Papa, he didn't mean to."

"Yeah, and he didn't mean to knock you up either but he did that too."

Rachel gave him a liberal eye roll and crossed her arms over her chest. "Finn was defending my honor when Jesse, whom you invited without my knowledge, affronted me and our unborn child. Finn was being a gentleman and standing up for us."

"So…I take it your reunion with Jesse didn't go well?" Hiram's anger subsided as he spoke to his daughter.

"Not at all. Why did you invite him?"

"Because at one time he was your best friend. You were so close and then everything just fell apart. You need all the good influences in your life you can get right now."

"And you thought Jesse was the solution to that? Papa, Jesse and I haven't spoken in seven years. Why would you think I would want him to come roaring back into my life at a time like this? Do you not think pregnancy is stressful enough already?"

"I thought you could talk things through and patch your relationship up."

Rachel huffed and balled her fists. "Were you trying to set us up again?"

Hiram sheepishly stuttered as he thought of a response. "I wasn't…it's just…you and Jesse were really great together when you were younger. You made each other better at your craft and you were so perfectly matched. And Jesse was at dinner with us and his parents about three weeks ago and expressed regret at letting you go. Said it was one of the worst decisions he had ever made and that he missed you. I knew it was a long shot since you're having another man's baby but I thought maybe he wouldn't mind and he cared about you enough to help raise it with you. It's hard to be a single parent."

"She isn't a single parent, Hiram," Finn added gruffly, annoyed at her father's interference and suggestion that he wasn't enough.

"As you two are not actually in a relationship that makes her a single parent."

"We are in a relationship now and even if we weren't, I don't want that asshole anywhere near our child. You think _that guy_ would be a good dad? He's a pompous dickhead who only cares about himself."

"That is extremely rude, Finn. You know nothing about Jesse or what happened between him and Rachel in the past."

"But I know what I just saw." Finn took a breath and rubbed his temples as he was getting a headache. "If Rachel needed your help at matchmaking, she'd ask for it. Rachel and I are dating now and that's not ending anytime soon so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't try setting her up with other men."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't use such a tone with me. Rachel is my daughter and I've known her a lot longer than you have. I was just trying to help her out in a difficult time which _you_ brought upon her."

Rachel could feel the tension rolling off of the two men and knew if she didn't step in soon it wasn't going to end well. "Papa, Finn…back to your corners," she tried to joke, pushing them apart and blocking the space between them. She turned to her father. "Papa, Finn is right…I don't need you meddling in my love life. Finn and I have started a relationship and I have zero interest in dating anyone else." She turned back to Finn. "While misguided, I do believe Papa was merely trying to ease the burden. It really isn't that big of a deal. The moment is done and over with and Jesse isn't a factor anymore, nor will he become one."

"Rachel, the dude called our kid…"

"Finn, please take a step back and go into the house. I'll be in to speak to you in a moment."

"Rachel…"

"Finn…" she mocked using his same berating tone. "Please, go inside."

Finn took a deep breath and backed away before turning to enter the house. Rachel looked back at her father. "I apologize for breaking your trellis, but you shouldn't have invited Jesse."

"Rachel, he's your oldest friend."

"_Was_. Papa, my life is completely different from what it was when Jesse and I were together. I need to move forward now. I can't go backwards. Jesse would be a backslide. Finn is my future now and you need to accept that."

Hiram nodded in understanding, putting his hand on Rachel's shoulder to pull her in for an apologetic hug. "I'm sorry for meddling, but I'm your father. It's what parents do. I will try to respect your relationship with Finn from now on. If you would have mentioned you had started dating, I wouldn't have given Jesse hope that you might be in a reconciliatory mood."

"We didn't tell anyone because we're taking things slow. We've already rushed so much and it's just caused trouble. I'm not taking any more chances when it comes to Finn. I want to be sure about him."

Her Papa smiled. "Good. Take things as slow as you need to."

Rachel squeezed him tightly before excusing herself into the house. She found Finn in the kitchen downing a beer. "Are you okay?"

"I'm pissed off. Your dads have no right to butt in like that. And the way Jesse spoke to you… How are you not pissed right now? You've stayed angrier at me for less."

She shrugged. "Probably because I care about you more. Jesse means nothing to me anymore. I realized that as I was talking with him. He's just a man who was in my past now. But you, you're my present and future which are much more important to me than some jerk who left me seven years ago." Needing to comfort him, Rachel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Finn's torso, her bump brushing his abdomen. He put his beer down and placed his hands on her hips, rubbing her belly with his thumbs. "I don't care what Jesse thinks of me or us or the situation. I care about you and this little one." She pressed her finger into his chest and Finn brought his hand up to entwine their fingers, both of them resting their hands on her stomach.

"Your hormones are insane."

"This isn't my hormones, Finn. I'm clear and level headed right now, unlike you. Just let your anger go, you'll feel better. We still have a lot of party left and I want to enjoy the rest of it. We'll sing karaoke later, and there's the horseshoe tournament, plus the family kickball game. Obviously I will not be partaking in that, but I was never very good anyway. I'm sure you'll be a much better replacement. Plus, fireworks! My Uncle Joe stocks up every year and blows them off once it's dark enough."

Finn took a deep breath and pressed his forehead to Rachel's. "You're right. The asshat is gone, I'll offer to pay for your dads' trellis, and then I'm telling everyone I'm your boyfriend." His face glowed in happiness. "You were serious when you told Jesse I was your boyfriend right? We're past pre-dating now?"

She giggled and bit her lip, nodding her head yes. "Yes. We are past pre-dating now."

"If that's the case…" Finn leaned forward, his lips parting for a kiss, but Rachel turned her head so he only kissed her cheek. "Why do you do that?" he asked, aggravated with always missing her lips.

"Do what?"

"No, don't do that. You know what I'm talking about, Rachel."

She worried her lip and shifted on her feet, staring down at the countertop. "You're going to think I'm being silly."

"Silly is better than what I'm thinking right now."

"What are you thinking right now?"

"That you're lying to yourself about wanting to be with me and I'm more invested in us than you are." It was a blunt assessment that weighed heavily on Rachel's heart.

She stroked his cheek and pouted sincerely. "No, Finn. That isn't the case at all. I do want to be with you and I am invested in us. That's why I'm…avoiding…the physical stuff." She shyly glanced up at his confused eyes.

"That doesn't make sense."

"Finn, as we've established, my hormones are a little all over the place lately. One minute I despise you then the next I want to climb you like a tree." He perked up at this, a cocky grin stretching his face. "But that's the problem. I don't know if it's_ me_ feeling these things or my body. I'm afraid if we start getting more physical I won't be able to stop and I don't want to mess everything up again. When we get to that point again, I want it to be because I'm ready in every respect, not just because I'm horny."

"So that means I can't even kiss you?"

"Sometimes all you have to do is touch me the right way and I'm ready to go. It's confusing and annoying being controlled by my hormones."

"Where exactly are the places that I touch you that get you going?"

Rachel snorted and shook her head. "I'm not telling you. You'll use it against me."

"You really think I'd be that guy? I'm not going to pressure you. It's just so I know to avoid them."

She wasn't convinced. "When I'm ready for you to know, I'll give you ample opportunity to find them." Her voice was thick with flirtation and she grinned at him lasciviously. "I suppose since we're official now, I can let you get a little taste." She pushed up onto her toes and pressed her lips to Finn's, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders.

The kiss deepened as Finn's hands crept down to Rachel's behind and he pushed her back against the counter. He slid his tongue along her lip, requesting access to her mouth, and she gratefully allowed him entry. Finn took his time exploring her mouth, smiling into the kiss, and enjoying the taste of Rachel's raspberry lip gloss. But all too soon Rachel pushed him away and shook her head, wiping at her mouth.

"Slow," she reminded.

"I was taking it slow. And I think you have more control than you think. You were able to stop us before we got any more heated. I don't think it's going to derail us if we kiss every once in a while." Now that she was his girlfriend, he really wanted all the perks that came with the title of boyfriend.

"Noted." She took his hand in hers. "Want to go officially meet my family? I noticed you met my younger cousins earlier."

"If you call getting dog piled meeting then yeah." He chuckled at her and they exited the house to find the patio reassembled as well as the Hummels standing awkwardly in the driveway holding what appeared to be a pie. "Mom!"

Carole zoned in on Finn and smiled as she and the others met Finn on the patio. "Finny. Happy Fourth!" She hugged her son then turned to Rachel. "Hello dear. You're really starting to show now," she commented, putting her hand out to rub Rachel's belly. That was one thing Rachel noticed since her stomach popped; everyone wanted to touch her without her permission. "I brought an apple pie. I didn't want to arrive empty handed. It's homemade."

"Oh, thank you, Carole. That wasn't necessary but it's so kind of you. I'll take it." As she walked past Kurt to take the pie to the food table, she grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind her.

"Where are you taking me?" he wondered loudly, tripping on a decorative stepping stone.

"There is someone you just _have_ to meet. I know you two will hit it off like gangbusters." She craned her neck searching for her cousin, still holding Kurt's hand in hers, and continued to yank him along behind her once she found the man she was looking for. As they approached Blaine, she noticed who he was talking to and groaned.

It was Lisa Mueller. Head cheerleader and lead tormentor of Rachel back in high school. Of course she looked as beautiful as ever, still blonde and skinny and naturally big breasted. Basically everything Rachel was not at the moment.

She led them over to Blaine and cleared her throat as they approached to announce their presence. When Lisa noticed she looked at Rachel with a modicum of familiarity.

"Do I know you?" Lisa asked.

"Rachel Berry. We went to high school together." Lisa still didn't seem to remember. "You and your cheerleader friends used to draw pornographic pictures of me on the bathroom wall. Once you even photoshopped my head onto a transsexual porn star and emailed it to everyone in the student directory. That one particularly stung."

"That sounds like something I would have done back then," she replied with no hint of remorse. "Sorry. I was a real bitch back then. I've tried to work on that."

"Anyway," Rachel turned her focus back to Blaine, "Blaine I have someone I want you to meet. This is Finn's brother, Kurt Hummel. Kurt, this is my cousin and roommate, Blaine Anderson. I thought you two should get to know each other. You have a lot in common and I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about."

Kurt put his hand out and Blaine took it tentatively. "It's nice to meet you. Rachel's told me a lot about you."

Kurt leaned forward with a playful smile on his face. "All good things I hope." He chuckled lightly.

"Of course," Blaine replied, returning his grin. "So you work on Broadway?"

The two men started to walk away, chatting animatedly with each other as they found a table situated under the trees in the shade. Rachel watched them go with a happy heart; feeling pleased at her matchmaking skills. She knew they would hit it off and now Blaine so totally owed her. Ready to reward herself with some cake for a job well done, Rachel turned for the food table to find Finn standing behind her.

"I see Kurt and Blaine have finally met."

"Aren't they just adorable together? I knew they would be perfect for each other."

Finn seemed amused by her enthusiasm. "So you could tell all that about Kurt and Blaine without them even meeting each other but you couldn't tell that about us?"

Rachel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his body, his own hands resting on her bump. "You didn't exactly give me much reason to believe that at first," she paused and pushed up onto her toes, her mouth very near to Finn's, "but now I can see how wrong I was." Closing the distance between them, Rachel kissed Finn in the middle of the backyard in front of everyone with abandon.

"I've never been happier to prove you wrong," he muttered against her lips, bringing his hands up to hold her face.

She covered his hands with hers and puckered up for another little kiss, pulling her lips in to savor the taste and feel of Finn's mouth on hers. Rachel gripped his hands and shifted so her arm wrapped around his waist and his draped over her shoulders.

"What do you say we get some cake? I'm craving cake."

Rachel nearly sprinted for the table and grabbed two slices of the precut cake. "Thanks, babe." Finn tried to take a piece from Rachel but she released a predatory growl.

"These are for me." She picked up another plate and handed it to Finn. "If you don't want to lose a hand, don't touch my food." Rachel pressed a kiss to a stunned Finn's cheek and meandered off to the patio to sit at the table to eat.

From there the rest of the night went smoothly. The Berrys and Hummels seemed to get along swimmingly, and everyone wanted to talk to Rachel about the baby and the mysterious Finn. No one had heard of him before and they were all very curious to meet the man who had impregnated the last person anyone expected to get pregnant out of wedlock in their family.

Though Rachel insisted Finn join in on the horseshoe tournament, he opted out in favor of sitting on the swing with Rachel, content to watch her family. It was nice relaxing cuddled against one another, so much so Rachel fell asleep.

When she woke, she was mildly disoriented as she had somehow been transported to her bedroom. The light streaming in from outside was much darker than it had been earlier and she could feel a large hand gently caressing her stomach and some quiet humming coming from further down the bed.

Rachel pushed up onto her elbows and peered down her body through sleepy eyes to see Finn's head resting on a pillow next to her tummy as he rubbed her bump. His eyes were closed and he was humming, his lips pressed against the sliver of skin showing between her shirt and shorts.

"Hey," she started, her voice thick with sleep.

Finn lifted his head and smiled up at her. "Hey."

"What time is it?" She yawned widely and rubbed her eyes.

"About nine-thirty. You've been asleep for nearly three hours."

"Wow. I'm sorry I fell asleep on you. How did I get up here?"

"I carried you." Finn sat up and scooted up the bed to meet Rachel at eye level. "You sleep like the dead and are about as easy to move as a fallen log, but you seemed more comfortable once I put you in bed."

"Did you stay with me the whole time?" Rachel hoped he didn't miss out on the party just because she had fallen asleep.

"I didn't want to leave you up here all by yourself."

"Finn, you didn't need to stay with me. It was very sweet, but unnecessary."

He shrugged it off and laid back on her pillows. "It's no problem. I took a nap myself and woke up about twenty minutes ago. Then I decided to try talking to our baby. The conversation was pretty one sided…"

Rachel giggled and laid back down, turning onto her side to face Finn. "I'm sorry you missed the party because of me."

"I'm not. It wouldn't be any fun without you. Our parents are hanging out and discussing politics, Kurt and Blaine have been talking since you introduced them, Puck and Quinn have been arguing most of the day, and Beth and Ben are playing kickball with your little cousins. The only person I wanted to spend quality time with was right here." He ran his hand up her arm to hold her cheek before leaning forward to capture her lips in a soft kiss.

Just then the sound of a firework zipping off into the sky could be heard and Rachel sat up to see the sky light up red outside her window. She scampered off the bed and slipped on her sandals. "Come on, Finn! Let's go watch the fireworks!"

Finn followed Rachel into the backyard where everyone had gathered to view the display and when Rachel came to a stop at the edge of the patio, Finn wrapped his arms around her middle, splaying his hand over her swollen stomach and pressing a kiss to the junction between her shoulder and neck. Rachel shuddered in his arms and he figured out at least one of those spots that got her hot and bothered.

Her arms folded over Finn's and she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "You're treading into dangerous waters, Mr. Hudson. I suggest you turn back before it's too late."

"I'll behave. But only because you asked me to."

"That is much appreciated." Rachel chuckled before falling silent and musing about the future. "Can you believe this time next year we'll have a baby at this party with us?"

"It's pretty crazy."

"We can do this…right?" She had asked the question so many times before, and Finn always gave the same reply, but sometimes it was nice to hear again when she got nervous about the future.

"We can do this, Rach. We can do it together."

And in that moment, Rachel knew he was right.


	12. The Friend

I would just like to thank everyone again for reading, favoriting and reviewing, etc. You're all amazing.

* * *

Finn kissed Rachel hotly on the lips as he stood between her thighs and cupped her face with gentle hands. She was seated on his desk in the back office of the restaurant, her arms resting on Finn's shoulders as she toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I should go," Rachel mumbled against Finn's lips, her mouth saying one thing while her body said another. She dug her heels into the back of Finn's thighs and pulled him closer, kissing him harder and prying his mouth open with her tongue.

He smiled against her lips and slid his hands down to her breasts, lightly palming them through her t-shirt. "You got ten minutes," he breathed out, moving his lips to her jaw. "Don't go yet."

"You said that ten minutes ago." Rachel chuckled and placed her hands over Finn's on her chest and removed them from her body, pushing at his chest to get him to stop. "I really need to get back so Puck can take his break."

"Who cares about Puck? I'm at half-mast here and it's really uncomfortable. I was hoping maybe you could help a guy out." He tilted his head to the side and shrugged, using puppy dog eyes on her.

Rachel gripped Finn's forearms and slid down from his desk, licking her bottom lip as she stared down at the bulge in Finn's pants. "Will you be fast?" she asked shyly.

"Holy shit, are you seriously allowing a quickie?" Finn was stunned and he stared down at his awesome girlfriend wide-eyed and ready.

"No." His spirit fell at the single word. "We haven't consummated our relationship yet and I don't want to with a quickie in the office at work. I want it to be romantic as the other two times weren't exactly out of a novel donning Fabio on the cover. But that doesn't mean I'm against helping you out in other ways."

"Such as?" he inquired, cocking his eyebrow.

Rachel bit her lip suggestively and her eyes fell to his pants as she tugged at the button then pulled the zipper down slowly. Finn's body tensed as Rachel slipped her hand under the waist of his boxers and took his hardening length in her hand. She pushed up onto her tiptoes and pressed a feather light kiss to Finn's neck as she began to stroke his cock. His forehead fell onto Rachel's shoulder as he fought to keep his knees from buckling at her touch. Her soft little hand felt heavenly on his velvety hot skin and as it was the first time in weeks that anyone besides him had touched down there, he was ashamed to admit that it wasn't taking much to get him to explode.

"Berry! It's time for my break. Stop – what the hell?!" Puck cried out as he walked in on the scene before him. Finn's head shot up and Rachel's spun back to see the man staring appalled at them.

"Get the fuck out of here, Puckerman!" Finn picked up the nearest object he could reach and chucked it at his best friend who ducked just in time for the object to fly out the door and into the receiving area. Puck grabbed the knob and slammed the door shut, leaving a mortified couple standing in the middle of the office.

Rachel's hand fell away fast as if his cock had burned her and she started backing toward the door, pouring some hand sanitizer on her hands as she went. Finn, now sadly flaccid, tucked himself back into his pants and zipped them back up.

"I should, um, get back to the bar." Rachel turned around and opened the door to find Puck waiting on the other side with a cocky smirk on his face. "Can't you knock?" she chastised.

"Can't you work a lock?" Puck looked disgusted as Rachel walked down the hall back to the front. "And wash your hands! No one wants a jizz flavored martini!"

Though uncharacteristic of her, Rachel flipped Puck the bird before turning around the corner and disappearing. Puck chuckled as he walked into the office and found Finn in his swivel chair pounding his forehead against his desk.

"Really, dude? At work?" Puck looked at him with a smug glint in his eye. "Who do you think you are? Me?"

"I really hate you. That was the first time in weeks that Rachel even considered getting physical and now you've probably just set me back about a month!" Finn whined, lifting his head to grumble at Puck before dropping it back onto the desk. "I'm sick of using my imagination and my right hand."

Puck pulled a face. "I'm surprised Berry is holding out so much. Quinn was all over me when she was pregnant…well, the second time anyway. The first time she kinda hated my guts for ruining her reputation and getting her kicked out of her house and nearly ruining her life."

"I just don't know what to do. I don't want to pressure her but she's driving me crazy! We make out like teenagers and she's fine with me touching her boobs but she never lets anything happen below the waist. Her hands, like, tease down there but she doesn't actually touch it. It's like she's scared to."

"Obviously not that scared since she got knocked up."

"I think that's why she's scared. The two times we were together-"

"Two times?! You were with her again? What happened to getting the details? You don't tell me anything anymore."

Finn ignored him and continued, "I wasn't exactly coherent. I think she's nervous that I won't like being with her while conscious."

"What do you mean you weren't coherent?"

"Rachel jumped me in my sleep when we spent the night at her dads' house a few weeks back. That's why she was pissed at me again." Finn sighed. "Anyway, I don't want to be a jerk and push her to do something she isn't ready for, but I know if she gave us the chance to explore a little further it would be awesome."

"Do what I do with Quinn…romance the pants off her. You gotta do all that cheesy romantic comedy crap but it drops the panties. That's how Ben got here."

"Like how?"

"Take her to a movie of her choice, force yourself to pay attention to the details so you can have a lively discussion afterward at a late dinner where you buy a bottle of wine, share a dessert, and just be gentlemanly all night. Oh, and wear a suit. It's like catnip for the ladies. It's a hassle but that frilly shit pays off."

"That sounds pretty generic. I don't know if that would work with Rachel."

"Fuck you, dude. It works. Unlike you, I'm having sex with my woman tonight so tell me again how my dates are generic?"

Finn placated his friend, lifting his hands in defense. "I'm just saying, we've already done that kind of date and I got nowhere. Sitting in the dark watching The Avengers put Rachel to sleep. It was The Avengers. How do you fall asleep during _The Avengers_?!" He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "No, I need something bigger. Something unique that will really light Rachel's fire. I need something to show her I'm serious about her and that I'll still be there in the morning."

"How do you say that with a date?"

His brow crinkled and his mouth formed a thin line. "I don't know."

They sat in silence thinking about possible date ideas. Finn was a fairly simple man and generally didn't think outside the box that often. His past dates consisted of dinner and a movie, going to Great Adventure, museums, Vegas. But Rachel was special – she was the mother of his child and deserved the best he could offer.

"This is New York City!" Finn groaned, pulling at his hair. "Ideas should be coming to me left and right, but I can't think of a damn thing."

"Don't sweat it, dude. It'll come to you. Just think of her interests and keep in mind she is pregnant. Once I took Quinn on a dinner cruise when she was with Ben and she upchucked all over a waiter. I did not get what I was after that night."

Just then a knock on the door caught their attention. "Finn?" Rachel's sweet cadence rang through the air and made Finn's heart beat faster. "I forgot to remind you…I'm leaving early tonight to go to my meeting."

"You're still going to those meetings? But you aren't a single mother." Finn didn't understand why Rachel went to those meetings every week. She had him and a wealth of others ready to offer help and support from all sides.

"I know I'm not. But I enjoy talking with women in similar situations. They understand the changes I'm going through physically and mentally. While I appreciate Quinn and your mother's advice, it's been awhile since they were pregnant and their situations were quite different."

Puck shook his head. "Quinn's first pregnancy wasn't that much different."

"Maybe so, but it is nice to be around women going through this now. If I'm being honest, it helps put my life in perspective for me. So many girls in that group have no one and they make me realize how lucky I am even though life hasn't gone according to plan. The least I can do is offer support for someone else who really needs it."

Finn nodded. "If it makes you happy…"

"It does." Rachel smiled affectionately at him. "Well, I need to get back up front." She waved awkwardly and closed the door behind her as she left.

"If you really want to get into her pants, do not question her activities. You'll just make her angry."

"Are you sure that's not just Quinn?"

Puck threw a pen at him and Finn laughed as he ducked. "I get your point. I've gotten into enough hot water with her as it is. I'm enjoying that she's actually talking to me and not being all crazy."

"If you want to keep it that way, keep your mouth shut…unless you're praising or admitting you are wrong. And when she cries about being fat, her feet and back hurting, or any other pregnancy thing she will cry to you about, _do not_ make any jokes or use the word fat back to her. Offer to massage whatever hurts and sometimes, you just need to sit with her quietly and let her cry. Oh, and another thing…the bigger she gets, the more she will probably feel like a human incubator instead of a woman. When she lets you get it in, treat her like a woman."

"Right."

"Just romance her and make her feel special."

"It's weird having this conversation with you and hearing you talk about romance."

Puck shrugged and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "When Quinn moved to the city after college doin' it in the backseat of a car wasn't enough for her anymore. She wanted like, an actual bed and foreplay and chick shit so I had to try harder."

"What does Quinn see in you?" Finn narrowed his eyes at his friend wondering how a schmuck like Puck could keep a high maintenance woman like Quinn happy for ten years.

"I'm a stud. I satisfy her in ways you can't even begin to imagine."

"I really don't want to imagine that, thanks."

"You better not be imagining my wife that way. I'll kick your ass."

"_You_ better not imagine _my_ girlfriend that way."

They both drifted into their thoughts, picturing their women in various states of undress and numerous sexual positions.

"I need to go," Puck said quickly, moving to the door swiftly.

When Puck was gone, Finn allowed the dirty thoughts to consume him, taking his time to get himself off. As he sat out of breath once finished, he looked down at his messy flesh and sighed. "Man, do I miss sex."

He cleaned himself up and opened Google on his computer to research date ideas. Before he knew it, Rachel's shift was over and she was stopping by to say goodbye.

"You're going to pick me up tonight, right?"

"I'll be there at eight." He smiled down at her, placing his hand on her hip and tugging her forward. Rachel grinned as she pushed up on her toes and gave him a kiss. It lasted for several intense moments and when they broke apart, both were breathless. "You have no idea what you do to me." His hands slid down to her backside and lightly gripped her curved behind.

She bit her lip and pressed her hands flat against his chest. "I promise we'll get there soon."

He wanted to ask about her reluctance, she was already pregnant and they'd had sex obviously, so he didn't really understand why she was putting it off.

"Okay, I need to go." She patted his chest and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you at eight." She smiled at him as she retreated from the office.

He would have to ask her later.

When Rachel exited the office, she took a steadying breath. Things were really heating up with Finn and it would only be a matter of time until she finally allowed them to go further. Honestly, she wanted to be with him, more than anything. They had made leaps and bounds in their relationship and basically all that remained was consummating it. She was just nervous about how their first time since beginning to date would be. She didn't want to disappoint Finn nor did she want to be disappointed by him. Her body had changed a lot since they were last together and she worried Finn wouldn't find her sexually appealing when he saw what was under her clothes. Finn had only seen her in the dark when she was still thin and stretch mark free through the haze of alcohol and sleep. Rachel didn't want the ideas in his head to be shattered by reality. She wanted to be certain of his affections before removing the final barrier between them.

She arrived at group ready to participate and when she walked in saw the usual ladies plus a new woman, looking overwhelmed and terrified. Rachel sat down next to her, saying hello to Amanda on her right before turning to the new girl on her left.

"Hi. I'm Rachel," she greeted, putting her hand out, "Rachel Berry."

The girl put her shaky hand into Rachel's and lightly shook. "Tina Cohen-Chang."

"This is your first meeting?" Tina nodded. "Well, you've made a good choice to attend. Everyone here is very helpful and supportive."

"My doctor told me about this group. I didn't know who else to go to. My family lives in Ohio and will probably disown me once they find out and my boyfriend lives in Chicago."

"You have a boyfriend too?" Rachel asked in surprise. She was the only woman of the bunch whose baby daddy was still involved in her life.

Tina nodded again. "He doesn't know yet though. I just found out I'm nine weeks along yesterday. I'm not sure what I want to do which is why I'm here. I need some advice."

"This is the place to get it."

"So, if you have a boyfriend, why are you here?"

"Finn wasn't my boyfriend when I got pregnant. My life has basically turned into the plot of Knocked Up…except Finn is much more attractive than Seth Rogen and has a job and isn't a pot head."

"Oh. Well, at least he stuck around when you told him."

"He didn't want to at first which turned into a whole big ordeal, but we worked things out."

"Why do you come here then?"

"It's nice to have other women like me to lean on. I don't feel so alone when I come here."

"Good evening ladies!" Dr. Pillsbury greeted, walking into the room and taking her place in the circle. In total there were nine women on Wednesdays and now there would be ten if Tina decided to stay. "I see we have a new face among us. Hello, I'm Dr. Pillsbury. Why don't you introduce yourself?" She motioned to Tina and the woman gulped.

"My name is Tina."

"Tina, very nice to meet you."

Once again Rachel couldn't help but think how the circumstances didn't make it that nice.

"Ladies, why don't we go around and introduce ourselves as well?" They started with Harmony who was only 18 and about ready to pop at 37 weeks. Her strict Christian parents had kicked her out of the house and disowned her and to avoid his own parents' wrath, the father of her child denied ardently that he was her baby daddy. She was currently living with her aunt who only took her in because Harmony had promised to put the child up for adoption.

They moved through the women who had similar tales. Two of the women were former prostitutes who had no idea who had fathered their children, another woman had gotten pregnant while on vacation in Europe and couldn't get a hold of the man, Amanda had discovered that she was pregnant after her husband died on the job as an FDNY firefighter, another girl had a one-night stand that abandoned her, another's boyfriend broke up with her when she told him she was pregnant, and the last two women were divorced and raising their children alone.

Compared to some of these women's stories, Rachel had it easy. Her family and Finn's family were not happy necessarily, but they were trying to be understanding and supportive. They had friends on their side, both were employed and lived in decent apartments, and most importantly, Rachel had Finn. That was what she was most grateful for. He was never going to leave her alone with this. Rachel knew that now.

"So, Tina, anything you care to share with us about you, or your life? Any questions you have? This circle is a safe place and you can feel free to say anything you want to here without the fear of judgment or ridicule."

Tina looked around at the women, the look in her eyes saying she felt guilty and ashamed despite the kindness Dr. Pillsbury was showing. "I mostly need advice."

"Of course."

"I'm nine weeks pregnant, it isn't planned, and I'm lost. I'm still in college and I will be for a while and my boyfriend lives in Chicago. My parents live in Ohio and are very conservative about this kind of thing. I'm just so confused about my future."

"You want my advice?" Gina, the bitter ex-girlfriend offered. "If you want to keep your boyfriend, don't tell him, and get rid of it. That's what I would have done but by the time I found out my baby daddy was a cheap, no good douchebag, I was too far along for an abortion."

"Or," Rachel interrupted, "you could tell your boyfriend and decide together what's best for you both as well as your child. If he's a decent man he will care about this and want a part in it. How long have you and your boyfriend been together?"

"Five years."

"He's obviously invested in you and your relationship if you've been together so long. I'm sure he would want to know about this. And then you would have him in your corner when telling your families."

"But how would we raise a baby when we live in different states?"

Rachel looked at her sympathetically. "That's something you would need to discuss together. I'm sure once you and he finish college, one or both of you would move to keep your relationship going, right?"

Tina shrugged quietly, "Mike had discussed moving here once done with school. He's a dancer and studying ballet at Joffrey."

"I really think you should talk with him before making any big decisions." Rachel looked at Dr. Pillsbury for confirmation.

She nodded and turned back to Tina. "Ultimately the choice is yours to make. It is your body and no one can tell you what to do with it, but put yourself in his shoes. If you were going to be a father wouldn't you want to know? Rachel makes some good points."

"That's easy for her to say. Her boyfriend didn't ditch her. It's hard to be a single mother, especially in this city," Gina insisted.

"I still wouldn't give up my daughter for anything. Her dad might be a deadbeat, but she's my light. Yes, it's hard but it's one of the most rewarding things a person can do," Krista said of her daughter Liza.

For the next twenty minutes the women debated the pros and cons of telling the father about the baby and threw so much information at Tina that she looked like she was about to throw up then pass out. While everyone had valid opinions, the conversation always came back around to the idea that the choice was Tina's to make. Only she could decide what was best for her.

At the twenty minute mark, they took their usual bathroom and snack break and Rachel spoke more candidly with Tina.

"How are you doing?" She placed her hand on her shoulder for some comfort.

"I'm petrified."

"You aren't alone there. We all feel the same way."

"I need to tell Mike. Regardless of what Gina and the others think, I know he won't leave me. He's too honorable and too good of a man to ever do that. He loves me and I know he'll love our baby."

Rachel smiled at her new friend. "He sounds like a great boyfriend."

"He is. He's my first true love and we've been through so much together. We always planned on sharing our life together and having kids. I just never thought it would be this soon."

A loud crash behind the girls startled everyone in the room and Rachel and Tina whipped their heads around to see the commotion. Food was scattered about the floor and the table holding all the snacks was now on its side. Harmony gripped the back of a chair, her face in pain, as her other hand clutched at her swollen stomach.

"She's going into labor!" Dr. Pillsbury yelled, pulling on some yellow rubber gloves and beginning to pick up the food. "Someone call an ambulance!"

Rachel immediately dug her phone out and called 911 before moving into action to help Harmony into a chair. Her first big contraction had passed and she could breathe again, but she was starting to panic.

"I am not ready for this yet! He isn't supposed to come now! The couple adopting him isn't even in the city."

"Do you want us to call them?" Rachel asked, kneeling next to her chair and holding her hand for support.

She took in a deep breath, her eyes closing, and nodded her head. "My phone is in my purse."

Rachel called the frantic expectant couple to inform them that their bundle of joy was on his way and which hospital to meet Harmony at. By the time she was finished, the screaming girl was being helped by paramedics.

"Is anyone going with her?" one of the men asked as they began to move Harmony toward the elevator.

The women all looked around at each other until Amanda stepped forward. "I'll stay with her until the adoptive family arrives. The hospital is near my place anyway."

Rachel slipped the phone back in Harmony's purse and handed it over to Amanda, wishing her luck, before turning back to look at the other women. They had all begun to help Dr. Pillsbury clean up the mess Harmony had made when her contraction had hit until the floor and table were spotless.

"Okay, ladies. Thank you for your assistance in cleaning up that frightful mess. I think we will cut the meeting short for tonight in lieu of the events that have occurred. I will see you all next week!" Dr. Pillsbury dismissed the ladies and they all grabbed their things and head for the door, except Rachel who moved over to Tina still sitting in the circle like she had seen a ghost.

"Are you alright?"

Tina's gaze lifted to Rachel's concerned face. "Child birth is terrifying."

Rachel chuckled lightly and picked up her bag. "Is anyone picking you up?"

"No. I was just going to take the subway home."

"Where do you live?"

"Second Street Residence Hall. I'm spending the summer there because I'm taking a few summer courses so I can graduate faster."

"I know where that is. You aren't too far from Finn and me. You should let us escort you home. Manhattan can be scary at night for a person alone."

Tina stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. "You really don't need to do that. I'll be fine."

"I insist. It's what friends are for." She smiled pleasantly at Tina who seemed to soften at the expression. It made Rachel feel like Tina didn't have that many friends in her life.

As they passed by the snack table, Dr. Pillsbury called out to Tina. "Oh, Tina, I just wanted to mention, if you feel like you ever need more help, there are meetings on Fridays and Saturdays as well as private counseling with me. Usually the girls come only once a week but the meetings are open to everyone always."

"Thanks, I will keep that in mind."

The doctor smiled happily and focused her attention on Rachel. "Rachel, I forgot to ask how your appointment went in group last week. Did you find out the sex yet?"

"Not yet. They didn't do an ultrasound the last few times. I was told at my 20 week check-up they would do another one."

"How far along are you now?" Tina questioned.

Rachel's hand fell to her protruding stomach. "Sixteen weeks and two days roughly. By LMP anyway. Just over 13 weeks from conception. When I first saw her she was the size of a kumquat. Now she's the size of an avocado. I just hope she doesn't turn into a watermelon because of Finn's giant genes."

Dr. Pillsbury chuckled. "Well, I am very happy to see that you are doing so well. I'm glad that you and Finn have worked things out and are getting along. I must be going now. I have to go scrub my hands." She excused herself and left Tina and Rachel to their devices.

The women made their way downstairs and Rachel inquired about Tina's major. "What are you studying at NYU?"

"Musical theatre. I'm going into my junior year this fall but with all the credits I've taken over the summer sessions, I should graduate next winter. Or at least that was the plan before I got pregnant."

"I was a musical theatre major too! At NYADA however."

"No way! I applied there but Madame Tibideaux is one difficult woman to impress."

Rachel nodded in agreement. "She can be heartless in her analyses and I saw more than one person get cut from the program at her hand. But she was also one of the best teachers I've ever had."

"So have you been in any productions yet?"

"A few Off-Off Broadway shows, but nothing big yet. As of right now my career is on hold but once I have my baby, I plan on getting back out there. I still practice every day to keep my skills honed and up to date, but I haven't been actively pursuing anything. For now I work at Hudson's Bar and Grille to pay rent. My boyfriend owns it."

They stepped out of the building to find Finn waiting alongside a cab, playing with his phone. When the motion caught his eye, he looked up to see his gorgeous girlfriend beaming back at him, forcing his lips to stretch into a wide grin.

"Hey Rachel," he greeted, stepping forward to give her a kiss.

When she pulled away, Rachel introduced Finn to her new friend. "Finn, this is Tina. She's in my group. We're going to take her home so she doesn't have to ride the subway by herself. Tina, this is my boyfriend Finn."

Tina waved shyly at Finn and he nodded in greeting. "You don't live like, on the other side of Manhattan or another borough, do you?"

"No. I live on Second and Bowery."

"Oh, that's close." They squeezed into the backseat of the cab, Rachel in the middle seat, the girls talked about their favorite shows and experiences on the stage with each other until they had arrived at Tina's apartment.

"Lunch tomorrow at Hudson's, right? You haven't tasted perfection until you have had their bacon cheddar cheeseburger," Rachel gushed. They had decided on lunch to make a plan of attack for telling Mike that Tina was pregnant. Rachel really didn't want Tina to experience what she had gone through with Finn. It had not been one of her finer and happier moments.

"I'll be there. Thanks for the escort. Are you sure I can't pay for my ride?"

Finn shook his head and waved her off. "It's fine, honestly."

"Okay, well, thanks again. I'll see you later, Rachel!" Tina shut the door and waved before jogging up to her building and disappearing through the door. The cab started on its way again to Rachel's and Finn wrapped his arm around her shoulders to hold her close, kissing the top of her head.

"She seems nice."

"She does. As complicated as our situations are, I'm kinda excited about lunch tomorrow. I've never really had a female friend before. Jesse's sister Jenna is the closest I've come and she didn't really count as she only put up with me because of Jesse."

"I wouldn't take offense to that. Look at who she's related to after all," Finn replied bitterly. He still really hated that asshat. "I'm glad you made a friend that you can talk to about pregnancy stuff."

"Wouldn't it be neat if we had a girl and Tina had a boy and they grew up together as best friends until realizing they loved each other and they got married?"

Finn snorted at Rachel's vision for the future. "I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself, babe. What if you both have boys or girls?"

"They could still be best friends. It's never too early to begin making friends. If our child gets used to playing with other babies at an early stage, it would probably make it easier for if and when they get a sibling." Rachel's eyes widened as she comprehended what she just said. She carefully looked up at Finn to gauge his reaction but only found him grinning down at her.

"You aren't even through the first pregnancy and you're already planning future ones?"

"I simply meant that in the future, if I were to have another child, if we acclimated this little boy or girl," she placed her hand over her belly, "to other babies early, they might be more willing to share."

"And who would you be having this other child with?"

Rachel shifted to get a better look at Finn. "Theoretically…you." Finn swallowed thickly and his cheeks began to flame. "We're trying to make this work for the long haul, right? If that's the case, someday we may be married and ready to have another baby. I always wanted at least two children so that my first one wouldn't be an only child. It can be a lonely life being an only child."

"I know. I didn't always have Kurt there and when I was younger I always wished I had a little brother to play with instead of the mangy alley cat that liked to sit on the fire escape outside my window. My mom worked a lot back then."

The cab pulled up outside Rachel's building and Finn paid for the trip before following Rachel out of the car. "You really don't need to walk me all the way up to my door."

"I do if I want a kiss goodnight," he replied with a cheeky grin. Rachel blushed before opening the door. "So, um," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I was looking at the schedule for this week and I noticed this Saturday we both have off. I was thinking we could go out."

"Are you taking me to see The Avengers again?"

"No. I was thinking something more along the lines of what you enjoy. I already have it all planned out. I just need you to agree to go."

"What is the plan exactly?"

"It's a surprise." It was only a surprise because he didn't actually have the tickets yet and didn't want to disappoint her if he couldn't get them.

Rachel eyed him critically. "Can I get a hint?"

"Nope. You just have to trust me."

Once at the door, Rachel turned to Finn and took his hands in hers. "I will trust you. But I will need to know a few things so I know how to dress and when to be ready by."

"There's a few things I need to do yet for it, so I will let you know later." He stepped closer and brought Rachel's hands up to rest her arms on his shoulders, her hands meeting around his neck as he placed his on her hips. "But I'm sure you will look beautiful in whatever you wear." He dipped his head and captured Rachel's lips in a tender kiss. Rachel's bump pressed against his abdomen and he felt warmth spread through his body.

The kiss deepened and their hands began to wander. Finn pressed Rachel back against the door, his hands running up her thighs under her dress. When they were forced apart by the need for air, Rachel gripped at the door handle. "We should, um, we should get inside."

"We?" Was she really going to let him in?

She bit her lip and nodded. Finn let her unlock the door and once it was open, reattached his lips to hers, walking her backward into the apartment until they hit the couch. A girlish scream tore through their stupor and Finn withdrew from the kiss to see something he never wanted to see – his brother's bare ass.

"Oh my God!" Finn yelled, averting his eyes and trying to erase the sight of Kurt's pasty white ass from his memory.

Rachel turned around to see what had startled Finn so much and found her cousin and Kurt scrambling to cover their naked bodies with whatever they could grab.

"My pillow!" she shrieked when she saw Blaine using the pillow from her bedroom she had left on the couch to cover his genitals. She narrowed her eyes at the man and set her jaw. "You have a bedroom, Blaine!"

"We – I – this…" he stuttered looking for the words to explain himself and coming up short.

"I am so sorry and I swear I will pay for a new couch if you promise never to mention this again. This was not what Blaine and I were planning but…you of all people should understand that things happen." Kurt knelt to pick up his underwear, maneuvering the blanket to keep himself covered.

"Why do we need a new couch? Other than your naked bodies have now been all over it."

"You probably don't want to know. Just…don't sit on it."

"Oh man, TMI, Kurt!" Finn called from where he was standing along the wall he was facing.

Rachel sighed dramatically and rubbed her temples. "While I am thrilled that I was right about you two making a good couple, couldn't you have had the common decency not to fornicate in a shared space?! Blaine, we set up these rules for a reason! We can't afford to buy new furniture every time someone has sex on something."

"I'm sorry! We really weren't planning on this. It just…happened."

Her hardened face dropped and she looked over at Finn. Rachel could relate but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it. "Well, if you could just refrain from intercourse in the living room again, that would be much appreciated."

Blaine saluted in response and began shuffling around the couch to head to his room. "We'll just get out of the way and go get dressed." Rachel turned away as Kurt and Blaine moved down the hallway to Blaine's room, only moving once she heard the door close.

"I cannot believe that just happened."

Finn finally moved away from the wall and back to Rachel. "I can't believe they stole our idea." Rachel giggled. "So, this probably put a damper on the mood."

"Just a little. Although I'm very happy for them." Rachel gasped wildly then and her eyes lit up. "We should invite them out with us on Saturday for a double date! That would be so much fun!"

Finn looked skeptical and less than thrilled by the idea. "I was kinda planning on it just being you and me." He took her hands in his and softly ran his thumbs over the backs of them. "Double dates aren't that romantic."

Rachel's eyes smoldered at this piece of information. "Oh, so it's a romantic date."

"That's what I'm aiming for."

"Okay. We can plan a double date some other time." She pressed a kiss to his lips and hugged him. "Thanks for making sure I got home safely. You're a real gentleman, Finn."

He reddened at her praise. "I try."

"You know, if you wanted you could spend the night. My bed is big enough for two and you were coming back over for breakfast anyway."

"You want me to spend the night?"

"Only to sleep. I'm kind of turned off from catching Blaine and imagining what he and Kurt did to my couch."

"Yeah. It's not something I want to think about." Finn shivered as Kurt's ass came back into the forefront of his mind.

As they walked down the hall to Rachel's room, a loud throaty moan and a whiny 'Kurt' could be heard through Blaine's door. Rachel stopped short and turned to look at Finn. "Maybe we should stay at your place."

"I'll go get a cab." Finn ran for the door and Rachel quickly grabbed her overnight bag and some pajamas and clothes for the next day.

Rachel heard Blaine cry out again as she exited her bedroom, cringing at the mental images assaulting her brain. Hearing other people in the throes of passion always put Rachel at unease and left her feeling dirty for being privy to such intimacy. She jogged for the door and heard another whine.

"I have got to get my own place," Rachel commented idly as she closed and locked the door behind her. As she walked downstairs and saw Finn waiting outside, she smiled as a thought struck her. "Or maybe I just need a new roommate…"


	13. The Show

Here's a long chapter for your reading enjoyment. :)

* * *

"I look fat," Rachel whined, pouting in the full length mirror as Kurt appraised the coral dress she was trying on.

"Shush. You do not look fat. You look pregnant and beautiful…just not in this dress. What was I thinking?! Take it off!" Kurt yanked the zipper down and Rachel started pulling the dress from her body. He thrust another one into her hands and Rachel sighed. "This is the one."

"That's what you said about the coral dress…and the red dress…and the thirteen other dresses. Kurt, I am tired. My back hurts, my feet hurt, I've had these weird muscle twitches in my stomach all day. I will go on our date naked at this point. I'm tired of shopping."

Kurt waved his hands at her and gripped her shoulders. "Just one more. I have a good feeling about this one." Rachel didn't look convinced. "I will pay for whatever dress we land on if you just keep working with me."

"Are you trying to bribe me?"

"Is it working?" He grinned hopefully at her.

Rachel huffed and crossed her arms over her chest before conceding. "Fine. Just please hurry up. I really am tired and I'm getting hungry."

"We just had lunch two hours ago. How are you hungry?"

"I am eating for two now and peeing for two." She pulled a face and put her hands on her lower back, rubbing at the soreness.

Kurt rolled his eyes at Rachel before helping her pull the dress over her head. He smoothed the material out and examined her appearance again. "No. Wrong."

"Ugh!" Rachel whined, beginning to lift the dress over her head. "I'll just wear one of my old dresses."

"Rachel, you can't wear your old dresses. They don't fit anymore. You need a new dress and one that will wow everyone that sees you in it." Kurt brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You can take a break for now. Go relax and I'll work with Tina for a while."

Kurt exited the dressing room and Rachel put her own clothes back on. She really was getting tired and running all over Manhattan with Kurt and Tina, searching for the perfect dress for date night, was rather trying. Everything that Rachel had liked, Kurt shot down before she could even get a word out, and he was rather domineering when it came to their shopping schedule.

Rachel traipsed out to find Tina sitting on a couch looking at her phone. "Where's Kurt?"

"He went to go find me some outfits. He's determined to give the world a makeover it seems."

"Kurt does love to do makeovers." Rachel plopped down onto the couch next to Tina and closed her eyes to relax. "I wish Kurt would just let me pick a dress and go home. I'm exhausted."

"Okay, I started you with three outfits." Kurt sauntered back into the fitting area and handed a dress over to Tina. "I made sure they weren't form fitting so that you could wear them for a while before you start to show but they won't make you look like a hobo." He shooed her into a fitting room and took her place on the couch next to Rachel. Kurt placed his hand on Rachel's knee and leaned his head on her shoulder. "You look tired."

"I am. I haven't done this much physical activity in months and I work out! You're better than a personal trainer." Rachel chuckled and laid her head back on the couch.

"At least you can go home and rest when we're done. Blaine is spending the night at my apartment tonight so you will have peace and quiet…or at least as much as Manhattan can offer."

"That is good news. I understand that he's young and popular and has a life, but does he really need to have a dozen people over until all hours of the morning? Even if I weren't pregnant, I still need my beauty rest. Plus, when you spend the night, I need to sleep with earplugs."

Kurt gasped and tried to play innocent. "We are not that loud." Rachel stared at him, an eyebrow raised. "At least we don't mean to be. I'm sorry if we interrupt your sleep, but just think of it as practice for when my little niece or nephew arrives." He patted Rachel's tummy and smiled at her.

Rachel shifted on the couch to see Kurt better. "That's another thing I've been thinking about recently. I'm going to have a baby in a few months yet I have nowhere for a baby to go. I don't want to ask Blaine to move out and even if I did, I can't afford that place by myself, but I need more space. So I was thinking, do you think it would be too soon to ask Finn if we should move in together?"

Kurt's eyes widened dramatically. "You want to ask my brother to move in with you?" She nodded softly. "Do you think that's such a good idea? Your relationship is still in the pretty early stage, despite the beach ball you're hiding under your shirt," Rachel glanced down at her stomach with a pout, pulling her shirt lower over her skin.

"That's why I'm asking. I've been so concerned with taking things slow and now I'm the one thinking about asking Finn to move in with me. I just think it would be easier to raise our baby under one roof and actually be a family and then the baby wouldn't bother my roommate because my roommate would be her father. I know it would be an imposition because we would have to find a completely new apartment as Finn's is only a one bedroom, but we need to start planning for the future. The past few weeks I've been so concerned with getting my relationship on track that I've put the baby on the side and I can't do that anymore. She's getting bigger every day and eventually she won't be some far off thing."

Kurt nodded in understanding. "I'm just not sure if moving in together right now would be the best thing."

"Well, I mean, we have some time. But I don't want to be 40 weeks along and apartment hunting. I want to have a nursery ready for her and some semblance of normal before I'm knee deep in dirty diapers and sleep deprived from midnight feedings."

"Don't get me wrong, I love my brother to death, but he's never lived with a woman that wasn't his mother before. I'm just not sure how well he'll handle living with a pregnant woman."

"I think he'd be fine. I've been spending more nights at his place lately anyway, so I don't think it would be that much different. Plus, I won't always be pregnant."

"There's a big difference between spending the night and living with someone. When you live with someone, that's where you live. You can't escape to your own space where your boyfriend isn't. You don't have that safety net anymore."

Rachel pursed her lips in thought. She could see Kurt's point but at the same time, she didn't agree with him. She and Finn had been stellar lately, giving and taking equally and communicating to avoid problems like they had experienced prior to dating. They had been great over the past weeks and Rachel believed moving in together would only be beneficial. It may not be slow, but Rachel wasn't sure she wanted to go slow anymore.

"Like I said, I have some time. Besides, I would need to talk to Blaine about it first, then Finn. He would either need to find a new roommate or a new place too. I don't want to leave him destitute."

"To be honest, I'm not sure how you afford the apartment you're in now. When I was 22 and fresh out of college, I was living in a crappy studio in Brooklyn and working two jobs just to make rent."

"Since Blaine is still in school his parents pay for a third of rent and some of the utilities. My dads did the same with me but once I graduated I was on my own which was why I moved in with Blaine in the first place. It's been a symbiotic existence up until now, but the landscape is changing and our arrangement isn't going to work for much longer."

The door to Tina's dressing room opened and she stepped out wearing a sleeveless, orange, white, and grey color block dress that stopped mid-thigh. She looked very retro and as if she were about to join the Mod Squad. "Wow, Kurt, I really love this dress." She smoothed it down as she walked to a mirror and Kurt left the couch to critique her appearance. When she found the price tag however, her eyes bugged out of her head. "Sadly I will not be purchasing this however as it's over $200."

"The price of fashion is irrelevant. What matters is how it makes you look and feel."

"Actually it is relevant as I'm a poor college student who needs to pinch every penny because she's expecting."

"Yeah, Kurt, the clothes in this store are fabulous but they're a little out of our price range," Rachel agreed. She hadn't mentioned it before for fear of Kurt's wrath rearing its head in an ugly way, but she needed to be serious now about finding a dress. Her date was tomorrow and she was running out of time and energy. "We should really go somewhere we can afford. H&M has a maternity section or Old Navy or Gap."

"Those are the cheapest stores in this city."

"Exactly. Cheap."

"I will not be seen in those second rate stores. You are going to wear couture or nothing at all!"

"Kurt…be reasonable."

"I already said I would buy you a dress and to make things even, I will buy you a dress as well Tina. If you really love that mod dress, I will gladly pay for it. It really does look amazing on you."

Rachel scoffed and her brow crinkled in frustration. "Oh, so Tina tries on one dress and it's perfect the first time, but I have to go through fifteen and still nothing?"

"You are my quasi-sister-in-law, I'm going to be pickier with you. My niece or nephew's mother will not be going around this city wearing animal sweaters anymore."

"I like my animal sweaters," Rachel mumbled.

"Before you settle on that dress however," Kurt pulled the second outfit he had for Tina off the hook, "try the other ones on." He joined Rachel on the couch again to wait. "Speaking of my niece or nephew, when do we find out the sex and have you decided on any names?"

"I'll find out at my 20 week ultrasound and we still haven't decided on a name. I suggested Barbra after Barbra Streisand for a girl and Christopher for a boy after Finn's father but he vetoed both names. He didn't care for Barbra and he said he wanted our son, should we have a son, to have his own name."

"What names did he come up with?"

"Drizzle and Kal-El," Rachel deadpanned.

Kurt snorted and covered his mouth with his hand to shield his laughter. "And he didn't like your name ideas?"

"We've been arguing for weeks over it but we can't agree on anything. We can't even agree on what we think it will be. I feel like we're having a girl and he insists we're having a boy. It makes me worry that he'll be disappointed if we have a girl," Rachel said quietly, twisting her fingers as her head dipped.

"I'm sure he will not be disappointed. Finn will be happy with a boy or a girl. He probably just wants a boy because then he doesn't need to worry about fighting boys off of his daughter so she doesn't have her own little unexpected surprise." He rubbed her tummy and grinned at her.

"Maybe." Rachel felt a twitch in her lower body and scrunched her face, rubbing her stomach.

"Are you okay?"

She pressed on her belly as she felt a little pressure in her right side. "Yeah, I've felt these weird little twitches in my abdomen all day. It's mildly uncomfortable. I think my muscles are spasming." Suddenly it hit her and she gasped loudly, beginning to glow in happiness, smacking Kurt's arm in joy. "Kurt! She's kicking! That's what I've been feeling all day! I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner." She caressed her belly and squealed giddily.

Tina came back out of the dressing room wearing a dress that made her look like an Asian Twiggy. "Your baby's kicking?!" She sat down on the other side of Rachel and squealed with her. "What does it feel like?"

"Have you ever had a muscle twitch out of nowhere? Kind of like that but sort of like a feather tickling my insides too. And a little like a gas bubble moving but it's not painful at all. It's so weird." Rachel felt the movement again. "She's still going."

Tina and Kurt put their hands on Rachel's stomach. "I don't feel anything," Kurt said, moving his hand to a different spot.

"She's not kicking the outside. You'd need to be my stomach or my bladder to feel it." Kurt pulled his hand away in disappointment. "I can't wait to tell Finn the news! He'll be so excited." Feeling rejuvenated by the new development, Rachel pushed herself off of the couch. "Let's find me a dress. I need to look good when I tell Finn our baby is kicking."

Their time in the maternity boutique lasted about another hour and by the time Rachel found a dress, she was sure her feet were going to fall off and her bladder was at max capacity. They hustled to get home but as they walked down the street, Rachel was distracted by a shop on the other side of the crosswalk. She checked the traffic before jogging to the other side and disappearing into the store.

She could hear Kurt and Tina entering the shop behind her wondering where the fire was but Rachel was already lost to the wonders of the baby boutique.

Since finding out she was pregnant, Rachel hadn't done much shopping for the baby as it seemed pointless to get anything before knowing the sex and she didn't exactly have the room for anything. But being in the pastel store surrounded by tiny socks and onesies and baby shoes and hats was making the thrill of having a baby bubble over.

"Oh my gosh! They're so little!" she crowed when she found newborn diapers and saw just how tiny they were. "And the little bibs!" She ran her hand over the bib that said 'Daddy's Little Princess' on the front. Rachel turned back to find Kurt staring at her with a smirk on his face.

"Sure, this shopping you're excited about."

"Kurt," Rachel pulled some baby booties off the shelf, shoving them in his face, "they're tiny little baby booties for tiny little baby footies. How can you not find them adorable?!" Then another item sitting a row away caught Rachel's attention. She returned the booties and picked up the new item.

It was a baby book with the cutest little zoo animals printed on the front. It had pink and blue, green and yellow, and didn't put one gender over the other. It was perfect. "Kurt, look at this baby book. It's perfect! I wanted to start a baby book since I decided to keep her but I wanted to wait until we knew the sex, but this one works for both!"

"The animals are cute. I like the hippo."

"This store is fantastic! I wonder if they have a gift registry. I should bring Finn here so we can shop together." Rachel found a salesperson and asked about registering then proceeded to buzz about the place, taking mental notes of things she liked and would need when the baby arrived to put on her registry when she returned with Finn. When they finally left the store, Rachel's only purchase had been the baby book but she had quite the mental list prepared for her next visit.

"Thanks for taking us shopping, Kurt. You really didn't need to buy me that dress. You don't even know me, but it was so nice of you," Tina said as they walked out of the store.

"It was my pleasure. I know you two are going through major life changes right now so I figured a little retail therapy might cheer you up. And you're Rachel's friend. Any friend of Rachel's is a friend of mine." Kurt chuckled and linked his arms with the girls'. "Plus, that dress looked amazing on you. It would be an atrocity not to buy it for you."

Rachel mused aloud to Kurt about possible plans Finn had up his sleeve, abruptly changing the subject. "Kurt, I know Finn hasn't brought many girls home before so it's okay if you don't know, but I was wondering if you had any idea what Finn might have planned for a romantic date. I've been texting him all day to get some hints but he won't divulge anything."

"Hmm," Kurt stared off into space, tapping his chin in contemplation, "well, knowing my brother, he's a creature of habit. He'll probably buy you some roses, take you to his definition of a fancy restaurant, then to a quiet place where if everything goes well, you can make out, which usually means a movie."

"Oh." Rachel was somewhat disappointed. Finn had already done all that and while she would appreciate any effort he made to make her night special, dinner and a movie wasn't anything new or exciting. The last time they went to the movies she fell asleep. "As long as he doesn't take me to see The Avengers again. It was too dark and warm in the theatre which made it far too easy to fall asleep."

"You fell asleep with ripped men in spandex on the screen? Rachel, I don't even care for comic book culture and I watched that film with rapt attention. Chris Evans' ass in that Captain America suit is one of the top three most beautiful things I've ever seen in this world."

Rachel giggled and nodded in agreement. "Of what I saw he was my favorite. While I find Robert Downy Jr. vastly talented, he just doesn't do it for me, and Chris Hemsworth's hair needs a good brushing."

Going in separate directions, the trio decided to split for home and said their goodbyes with promises to get together again sometime next week. Rachel wished Tina luck with breaking her news to Mike and made Kurt swear that he would keep Blaine all night so Rachel could finally get a decent night's sleep in her own bed. While she didn't mind sharing with Finn, she missed her cat and her things surrounding her. When she had woken in Finn's room on Thursday morning, she had been disoriented and nearly had a heart attack when she found a hand not belonging to her on her stomach. Sharing with Finn was going to take some getting used to.

Once Tina and Kurt were off on their way home, Rachel grabbed her own taxi and headed for Hudson's where she knew Finn would be. She was going to wait until tomorrow to tell him their baby had kicked for the first time, but the anticipation was killing her.

When she arrived at the restaurant she found Finn behind the bar talking to Kitty, the new bitchy employee he was training to take over for Rachel as bartender in a few weeks. "Finn!" she cried in joy as she jauntily ran to the bar, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Hey babe," Finn greeted smiling widely, and dropping his conversation with Kitty who seemed annoyed by Rachel's presence. He leaned over the counter for a kiss and Rachel obliged, smiling against his lips. "What are you doing here? I thought you were all gung ho about having the apartment to yourself for once?"

"Oh I still am. It will be nice to have a Me Night, but I have news!" She placed her bags on a barstool and clapped her hands together quickly. "As you know, I went shopping with Kurt and Tina today and I noticed all day that I had these weird little tickles in my stomach and when I was taking a break from Kurt's tyrannical reign over our shopping experience, I figured out what they were. Finn, our baby kicked today!" She squealed and balled her hands into fists, shaking them as she smiled so broadly her face nearly split in half.

Finn's mouth dropped open and his eyes brightened, his lips widening into a huge grin. He ran around the bar to join Rachel on the other side of it, pulling her into a hug and kissing her cheek. "That's amazing, Rach!" He placed his hands on her stomach hoping he could feel something. "Is he kicking now?"

Rachel pouted and placed her hands atop Finn's. "No, not right now. I think I rocked her to sleep with all my walking, but she was kicking earlier, I swear. I read that usually first time mothers can mistake the kicks for gas or other bodily functions, but these don't feel like anything I've had before. It really feels like feathers tickling my insides."

"I wish I could feel it." Finn seemed disappointed.

"You will. It might be a little while yet but it will happen. Right now you'd need to be one of my organs to feel it." Finn smiled at that and turned to notice Rachel's shopping bags, including a pink striped bag.

"Is that a Victoria's Secret bag?" he remarked, his voice growing deeper while his pupils dilated.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You would notice that bag out of them all." She turned to find the smallest bag of the bunch. "I also have another surprise!"

"Naughty lingerie?" His eyes smoldered as he smirked down at her.

"Finn, I didn't even buy undergarments at Victoria's Secret. I bought some sweatshirts and yoga pants that will actually fit now that I've grown so much."

His face fell and the lust left his eyes. "Oh. Well that's boring."

"Sorry to disappoint you. But maybe this will cheer you up." She pulled out the baby book she bought and held it out for Finn to take. "We stopped at the most adorable baby boutique and I found the perfect baby book. I thought we could work on it together."

Finn flipped through all the pre-designated pages slowly. "That's a good idea, Rach."

"I already started working on it since I had always planned on making one. I was going to wait until we found out the sex but then I saw this book and it's perfect for a boy or a girl. I've been taking a picture of my belly every Monday since I found out I was pregnant to document my growth and in preparation for the book. Plus, I did an extensive family tree research project back in high school, so it should be easy enough to fill that portion out for my side."

"Wow, you seem really excited about this."

"I am. It's really starting to hit me now that we're having a baby. Even though it's consumed nearly every waking thought of mine for the past few months, it always seemed like such an abstract concept. My belly was growing but it just kinda made me feel like I was getting fat. Feeling her kick…it's like it cemented the idea of being pregnant in my head." She placed her hands affectionately on her rounded bump. "There's a real, live, little person in here and it's terrifying yet completely exhilarating to know that we made her. We made a human being."

Finn grinned down at her and placed his hands on her hips to pull her closer. "Has anyone ever told you that your enthusiasm is infectious?"

"Not really. Most people find it obnoxious."

"Well, those people are wrong." He pressed a chaste kiss to Rachel's lips, smoothing his hands around to her back to hug her. When their kiss broke, Finn's gaze flickered toward the entrance of the restaurant and he tensed.

Rachel noticed his sudden change in demeanor. "Are you okay?"

He glanced back down at her and gave her an uneasy smile. "Yeah, I'm great, seriously. Are you busy right now?"

"No, why?"

"I'm about to go on my dinner break and I was wondering if you'd like to join me?"

Rachel bit her lip and nodded her head, wrapping her arm around his waist as he turned to lead them back to the kitchen, hugging her to his body like he never wanted to let her go, staring over his shoulder to be sure the man who had just walked in didn't see their escape.

That night, as Rachel attempted to fall asleep, she found herself tossing and turning uncomfortably instead of falling into a blissful slumber like she had planned. She had made herself a delicious dinner of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies, put on a Barbra movie, and enjoyed the emptiness of her apartment fully by stretching out with Doodle on the new couch Kurt had bought them the day before to replace the old one which had mysterious stains and deep slashes in the fabric. When her movie was finished she even took a long luxurious lavender bubble bath to relax her mind and body before climbing into bed in her favorite pair of shorts and one of Finn's old t-shirts she had swiped from his house. The shirt was so big on her it didn't even look like she was pregnant with it on.

But none of that was helping her as she lay on her side, running her hand over her stomach. The baby was fluttering about again, the feeling more pronounced now that Rachel knew what it was, and it was unsettling. "Baby, I know it's exciting to be able to move, but Mommy needs sleep," she said quietly into the darkness. In addition to the baby's constant movement, Rachel could feel her stomach beginning to grumble in want of food. She was just so tired and wanted to sleep but knew she wouldn't be able to if she didn't sate her hunger. Perhaps that was the reason the baby was moving so much, she was trying to tell her she was hungry too.

Rachel rolled onto her back and stared up at her ceiling thinking about what was in the house that she could eat. As she had just gone shopping the day previous there was plenty around but of course, none of what she had bought was what she was currently craving. No, what Rachel craved was a cheeseburger, specifically Hudson's bacon cheddar cheeseburger. Pregnancy turned her into a horrible vegetarian and Jew but she couldn't help it that her baby had Finn's carnivorous, non-kosher genes.

She grabbed her phone off the side table and called Finn, hoping he wasn't asleep yet. The phone rang twice before he answered. "_Hey Rach_," he greeted. At least he didn't sound like he had been asleep.

"Hey Finn. What are you doing right now?"

"_I'm manning the bar because Kitty's on break. What are you doing?_"

Rachel sighed, trying to sound as pathetic as possible to get him to feel bad for her. "I'm trying to sleep but your baby is keeping me awake."

"_Oh he's just my baby now?_"

"Yes. It's your meat-eating genes that are making me crave a bacon cheddar cheeseburger right now and preventing me from getting the much needed beauty sleep I require."

"_I'm sure you don't need that much sleep to look beautiful. I've seen you in the morning. You look like an angel._"

Rachel chuckled. "You don't need to lie, but I can't say I mind. I know I look like a zombie in the morning." She sighed again. "I really am hungry," she said in a pouty tone.

"_Did you want me to bring you a burger when Kitty gets back?_"

"Would you?"

Finn laughed lightly. "_I suppose if my baby's meat-eating genes demand it, I can't say no. My shift is over at midnight anyway._"

"You're the best." Just then a few more tasty items popped into Rachel's head that would go well with her burger. "Can you bring me some fries and baked beans too please? Oh and that cotton candy ice cream I've recently discovered…and some gummy bears."

"_You're making me run to the store too?_"

"Finn, there are like 30 stores that sell that stuff between Hudson's and my place."

"_Fine. I should be over in about half an hour._"

Rachel sat up in bed quickly. "That long?" she whined, displeased at not receiving instant gratification.

"_It's not that long._"

"But I'm hungry now." She was beginning to sound like a petulant child.

"_Rachel, the burger is going to take like 15 minutes to get ready and Kitty still isn't back from break plus travel time to get to your apartment and stop at the store for you ice cream and gummy bears. I'll move as fast as I can, but you gotta give me some time._"

Rachel made a face but conceded. "Fine. And please bring me some nachos too."

"_Nachos too?_"

"I'm hungry, Finn." He huffed into the phone and Rachel reeled at his tone. "I wouldn't be so damn hungry if someone hadn't knocked me up so you only have yourself to blame!"

"_Um..._"

"Just bring me my food!" She angrily pressed end and threw her phone onto the table before getting out of bed and storming to the bathroom to pee yet again. "Stupid Finn and his stupid sperm." But then she realized that the baby might take offense. "I'm not angry at you," she said to her bump, "your Daddy just infuriates me sometimes."

After she relieved herself and calmed down she had realized that she had been rather short with Finn on the phone. He was being nice enough to bring her the food and really she was asking for quite a bit of it in a short amount of time. She picked up her phone again and called Finn back. Before he could even speak she began to apologize. "I'm sorry, Finn. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just sleepy and I get a little cranky when I'm tired. Please forgive me." He chuckled a little and it set her off again. "Are you laughing at me?! I'm trying to apologize to you and you're laughing at me? Well, forget it Mister! I take back my apology. If you want my forgiveness you better bring me my food ASAP." She pressed end again and this time stormed into the kitchen to make some toast.

When Finn buzzed to be allowed in, Rachel nearly tackled him to the ground when he got up to the apartment with her food. Her super sniffer pregnancy nose could smell it from two floors down and her stomach grumbled loudly and painfully.

"Took you long enough." She glared at him as she ripped the bags from his hands and plopped down on the couch. Finn closed and locked the door behind him, joining Rachel on the couch, cringing a little as Rachel mauled the burger in her hands, grease dripping down her chin.

"You're so sexy when you eat."

Rachel stopped chewing, her cheek full like a chipmunk's, and narrowed her eyes to slits at Finn. "That better not be sarcasm in your voice," she said through the chewed ball of food in her mouth.

Finn turned into a deer in the headlights. "It's not…?" She shoved him in the shoulder and ripped off another piece of burger. They sat in silence until Rachel mumbled through her mouthful. "What?"

She swallowed and stared down at her food. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Finn draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to kiss her temple. "Is it good?"

Rachel took another bite and closed her eyes in euphoria as she nodded her head. "Is it bad that I don't feel guilty for eating meat?"

"I never feel guilty about eating meat. Meat is delicious."

"If I could make love to a food, it would be this burger, I swear." She turned to Finn. "You deserve every Best Burger award you've gotten."

Finn chuckled and lifted his hand. "You got a little…" He wiped at the mustard on Rachel's lip with his thumb and she opened her mouth to suck the mustard off his finger. His breath hitched at the gesture and he felt a stirring in his pants. "You really are sexy when you eat."

Rachel snorted and popped a fry in her mouth. "Just wait until I get to the ice cream." She waggled her eyebrows at him and started in on her nachos until Finn took the food out of her hands and heatedly kissed her. He pressed her back onto the couch, making sure not to squish her stomach, slipping his hand under the t-shirt she wore and over her swollen flesh. Before he could reach the prize of a breast, Rachel pushed at his chest and made him stop.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want to wait for ice cream."

Rachel scooted herself into an upright position and grabbed her nachos again. "I appreciate that you brought me a late night snack but I'm not trading sexual favors for it."

"That's not what I'm doing. I just…you send me all these signals that you're ready for more and then I try to take it there and you back off. It's confusing."

"And you thought it best to jump me in the middle of eating?" she asked skeptically.

"You said the thing about the ice cream…"

"I was being playful, flirtatious." She put her nachos back on the coffee table. "I want to be with you, but not when I'm in the middle of gorging myself on junk food in ratty old pajamas."

"Hey, that shirt isn't ratty." He tugged on the sleeve of his AC/DC shirt and put his hand on her knee. "Hey, when did you swipe my shirt?"

Rachel blushed and popped a cheesy nacho into her mouth. "I might have put it in my bag before I left your place yesterday. It's comfortable and I like how it smells."

"How it smells?"

"It smells like you."

"That means it probably needs to be washed." He laughed and Rachel shook her head. "I have to say, it does look better on you than it does on me."

Rachel stood and the shirt went to about mid-thigh. "It's like a dress." She sauntered away to the kitchen to get a drink. "Did you want something to drink?"

"Do you have any Pepsi?"

"No. Blaine doesn't drink soda and I can't drink it…not that I usually do anyway."

"I'll just have whatever you're having then."

Rachel walked back into the living room with a sexy gait, her bare feet padding softly on the wood floor, her long legs tucking gently under her body as she sat back down. He could stare at those shapely legs all night.

"It's not what I'm having but I thought you might like it." She handed over a Yuengling and Finn brightened.

"You don't have Pepsi but you have beer?"

She shrugged. "Blaine bought a few cases of beer for when his friends came over and there were a few left. If you don't want Yuengling there's some Heineken in there."

"Yuengling's fine."

"I figured. It's what you were drinking at Santana's wedding." She began to blush at the memory before a yawn overtook her. "Excuse me."

"Tired?" She shook her head and yawned again. "I'll put your food in the fridge and let you get to bed." He picked up the bags and put away her ice cream and nachos, walking back to find Rachel waiting for him leaning against the couch. "I should get going."

"You could stay."

"I have to be up early."

"It's Saturday. What do you need to be up early for?"

"It's part of the surprise for tomorrow."

Rachel scrunched her face and tilted her head. "Okay…you could still spend the night. I don't mind if you leave early."

"If you really want me to stay, I'll stay."

She bit her lip and nodded, grabbing Finn's hand and leading him to her bedroom. Rachel released his hand once inside and Finn closed the door, darkening the room significantly, while she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed, flicking on the side table lamp so Finn could see. Finn kicked off his shoes and let his khakis drop to the floor, stepping out of them and jogging over to join Rachel in bed as he pulled off his button up work shirt.

"What happened to sleeping shirtless?" He still had on his undershirt.

"I will if you will," he flirted.

Rachel just laid back on her pillow and turned onto her side. "It is kind of hot in here." She sat up and pulled Finn's shirt off and Finn's heart stopped until he saw she was wearing what looked like a sports bra. "Aw man."

"What?"

"I was expecting to see a lot more."

"I can't sleep with my boobs flopping around. They're too sore so I bought some sleep bras." She laid back down. "Are you going to hold up your end?"

Finn tugged his shirt off and flexed his muscles for her. "Like what you see?"

Rachel tucked herself into his side and ran her hands over his pecs. "Very much." He placed his hand on her stomach and rubbed her gently. Finn puckered up for a kiss and Rachel obliged.

It deepened the longer it went on and soon Finn was helping Rachel out of her bra and palming her breasts. She moaned deeply and her hand trailed lower to his boxers. Her fingers slipped beneath the material to wrap around his cock, his soft skin growing hard with each stroke.

"Are we…?"

"Soon. But right now…" Rachel bit her lip and pushed his boxers down his hips, sliding down under the blanket.

"Holy…" Finn cried out when Rachel began tonguing his tip. His hands slipped into her hair and Rachel's lips wrapped around his length, teasing his flesh with her tongue and bringing him to dizzying heights of pleasure. Her head bobbed up and down under the blankets and Finn's eyes clamped shut as his hips bucked up. Rachel sucked on his balls and stroked his cock before running her tongue up to the tip. "Ra-Rach…" She opened her mouth wide and took him in as far as he could go and began to hum. Finn couldn't hold back the flood any longer and erupted down her throat, his cum hot and thick.

His breath was labored as he calmed down from his best orgasm in ages. When he was milked for all he was worth, Rachel licked him clean and ascended from below the blankets. She sat atop his hips and pressed her palms flat against his chest. "Are you glad you spent the night now?"

"You're an amazing woman."

She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and licked her lips before rolling off of Finn. Rachel curled her body back into his and gave him a soft kiss, her hand caressing his face. "Let's go to sleep."

"Don't you want me to repay the favor?"

"There's time for that later. I really am sleepy now."

"'kay. You really are awesome."

"You are too." She pressed a kiss to his cheek and snuggled against him, his hands finding their way to her bare breast and her tummy while she hugged him like a giant teddy bear. Feeling sleepy and sated, Rachel finally fell into an easy sleep, content in the arms of the man she loved.

Hours later, Rachel woke to the blaring sound of 'Don't Stop Believin'', nearly jumping out of her skin as she startled and rolled into a solid mass beside her. A groan came from the lump and memories from the night before flooded her mind. She grabbed Finn's phone and hit snooze on it before turning to bump her belly into him.

"Finn, get up."

"Go 'way, Mommy," he mumbled.

"You did not just call me 'Mommy'."

Finn cracked an eye open and grinned when he saw Rachel staring at him in the dim light of the early morning. "Hey beautiful. How'd you get in my apartment?"

"You really do have poor memory when you're half asleep." She giggled and smoothed her hand along his bicep. "We're at my apartment."

"Oh yeah. Why are we awake? Let's go back to sleep…unless you wanna fool around."

"You set your alarm because you needed to do something early for our date tonight."

Finn was quickly alert and scrambled out of bed, groping for his clothes in the dark as Rachel pushed herself up onto her elbows to watch him. "What do you need to do at five am on a Saturday?"

"You'll find out later." He crawled back onto the bed and kissed her goodbye. "I'll be back around six for you."

"I'll be waiting with bated breath." Finn withdrew and walked to the door but Rachel called him back. She opened her side table drawer and pulled out a pair of shiny golden keys. "Here's my spare key so you can lock the door on your way out and come and go without needing someone to buzz you in."

"You're giving me a key to your place? Are you sure that's not too fast?" he half mocked.

Rachel was not amused. "Don't make me regret giving you a key." She pulled the blanket taught around her torso as she sat up further. "You'll need it. What happens if there's an emergency and Blaine isn't around and I'm incapacitated and can't reach the buzzer? Or I need a midnight booty call and want to be waiting all scantily clad in bed for you with fuzzy pink handcuffs?"

Finn gulped loudly and pulled in a shuddering breath. "Let's hope for the second scenario." He shook off the naughty thoughts and got back on task. If he didn't leave immediately, he never would and date night would be ruined. "I gotta go. I'll see you later."

Rachel waved goodbye and laid back in bed. "My God, how did I sleep comfortably last night?" she asked aloud rhetorically as she massaged her sore breasts and searched for her sleep bra. Without Finn there, if she wanted to fall asleep again she was going to need it.

Once waking again, the day was spent lazing about, eating the rest of the food Finn had brought plus more, still getting used to feeling her unborn child moving about inside her, ordering some non-Kurt approved maternity clothes online, then finally beginning to get ready around three. It seemed the bigger she got, the longer it took her to get primped for the day but by quarter to six, she deemed herself ready to have a fabulous night out.

Just as she sat down to wait for Finn to arrive, a knock sounded at the door. Rachel maneuvered herself off the cushion and opened the door to find a finely dressed Finn behind it.

"Wow. You look gorgeous."

Rachel looked down at her dress and smoothed the material over her belly. The dress was short sleeved and short, form fitting, with a black back and a nude front covered by various patterns of black lace. It was the classic little black dress with a maternity twist.

"It was the only one Kurt would let me buy, but I do love it."

"I will have to thank him."

She chuckled and grabbed her clutch. "Are you ready?"

"Actually, I brought you something." He handed her a shoebox labeled with men's size 13 Nike's on it.

"You brought me men's running shoes?"

He grinned. "Just open it." She pulled off the lid and found dozens of photographs from the past seven decades. "I asked my mom for some family pictures after you told me about the baby book. She went a little overboard but I figured we'd find some good ones to put in there."

She found a picture of the most adorable chubby blonde baby Finn. "You were blonde?"

"Yeah, I grew out of it around six though." Finn shrugged indifferently. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she put the box on the table and they started off to upper Manhattan.

They arrived at Central Park and took their time strolling along the winding pathways, taking coupley pictures at Bow Bridge and Belvedere Castle and the various gardens around. As they walked past an elderly couple sitting on a bench, Rachel heard the woman comment to her husband how cute she and Finn looked together. She was inclined to agree.

"Oh, Finn! There's a churro stand! I haven't seen that before." Rachel jauntily jogged over to the line and beckoned Finn to follow. "I haven't had a churro since my last boyfriend and I went to Disney World on spring break my sophomore year of college."

Though he didn't want to hear all about Rachel's past lovers, he had to admit he was curious about her second boyfriend. The first one was a real jackass and made him wonder if Rachel had a usual type of man.

"So what happened with your second boyfriend? You never said."

"There's not much to tell. We met in the bathroom at NYADA – I met _all_ of him actually – and he helped me out on a dance project and during rehearsal we kissed. We sort of fell into a relationship; we never really made the decision to date, we just did. It was easy and fun and the sex…" Rachel fanned herself, "he put Jesse to shame." She noticed Finn's face harden with jealousy. "Don't worry, you're better…and bigger."

Finn puffed up in pride. "I'm the best you've ever had?"

"At least until I get my next boyfriend," she joked, biting her lip and winking at him.

"How did it end if he was so great?" His voice was a little bitter at Rachel's attempt at humor.

She sighed and stared off into the distance. "He was two years my senior. After he graduated, he moved to London to be Drew in the West End production of Rock of Ages. Rather than try long distance and fail again we decided it was best to go our separate ways. He's done well for himself. He was in London for a year then came back to be Gomez in The Addams Family."

"Wait," Finn tilted his head as he put it all together, "you dated Brody Weston?"

"You know who Brody Weston is?"

"I saw him in that show because I took Beth to see it for her birthday. But I knew him before that. We went to high school together. He was two grades younger. We played football together and he was the lead in all the musicals I played timpani for."

"You played timpani?" She sounded more surprised by that than the fact he knew her ex-boyfriend.

"I was the only one who could keep it in tune. But that's not the point. You dated Brody Weston?!"

"Why are you getting angry? We dated years ago and haven't spoken since he left. It's a common theme in my life."

Finn was flustered. Her first asshat boyfriend left her and ended up winning a Daytime Emmy and Brody was now a huge Broadway name after he left her. It wasn't fair. All these people kept leaving Rachel and becoming successful while she was left behind, heartbroken, and struggling to achieve her dreams. It just pissed him off.

"I'm not angry. It's just…you've dated these guys who are living your dream and you're stuck here having my baby. I'm responsible for holding you back." As he said it, he felt it to be true. "What do you see in me?"

Rachel took his hands in hers and entwined their fingers. "Hey, don't blame yourself. I was there too. And Jesse and Brody got their success due to their talent. I don't blame them for their success. I'm going to have my own someday, but you know the difference? Unlike them, I'm going to make it with a gorgeous boyfriend who cares about me and will support me the entire way, and a beautiful son or daughter to come home to that will remind me why I'm pushing myself to succeed. This isn't just about fame and notoriety and awards anymore. I need to succeed for my family, for you and her." She looked down at her stomach and patted it, feeling gentle flutters from inside. "There are reasons Jesse and I and Brody and I didn't work out. They weren't the ones for me, but I'm happy we didn't work out because it all led me to you."

"So you don't hate me for impregnating you and putting your dreams on hold?"

"I wouldn't be here on this date with you right now if I did." She tilted her head back and puckered up for a kiss, smiling into it.

"Next!" the churro man called out, breaking the couple apart.

Finn pulled out a few dollars from his pocket and bought two churros, which Rachel eagerly took, swiping her tongue over her lips.

"Aren't you getting one?" She bit into one of the sugary fried treats.

"I did. You're holding it." He tried to take the uneaten churro but Rachel held it out of reach.

"I thought these were both for me."

"Can I at least get a bite?"

Rachel held out the food and Finn tore off a huge chunk with his teeth. "Come on, we need to get going," he said as he chewed, slinging his arm over her shoulders.

A short walk later, they were coming up to the Delacorte Theater.

"You got tickets for Into the Woods? I've been trying to get tickets for this for weeks. I've read mixed reviews for the show as a whole but according to most of them Amy Adams is simply splendid. While it isn't my favorite Sondheim musical, I still know all the songs. How did you get tickets?"

"I woke up at five to get here to get tickets when the box office opened. There was already a line when I got here at six."

"You stood in line all day to get these tickets for us?" Rachel had stars in her eyes as she stared at Finn like he was Adonis. "The last time I saw show here on a date, I had to stand in line by myself while Brody went to work out. Then he didn't bother to show because his friend had tickets to Kanye West and he forgot to tell me."

"Wow, that was really shitty of him."

"Yeah, just a little. The show was great and I returned the favor by going to visit my dads on a night I had promised to show him the new panties I bought. He didn't blow me off again."

"You can't be serious! Finn, Rachel?" a familiar high pitched voice called out from behind the couple in line. "What are the odds that we run into you here?" Kurt hugged Rachel hello and gripped Finn's shoulder while Blaine waved at them from the side.

Finn smiled uneasily. "Yeah, what a coincidence. What are you guys doing here?"

"Kurt surprised me with tickets. He knows I adore Amy Adams." Blaine snapped his fingers as an idea struck him. "We should get together for drinks after the show to catch up, except for you Rachel, I mean for the drinks. You can come, just don't drink."

"I knew what you meant. Where are you going?"

"We're going to a cabaret."

"A-a cabaret?" Finn stuttered. "What, uh, what cabaret?"

"The Jazz Square. It's a '20s themed cabaret. They have dancing and open mic every night after midnight, and revues. Tonight they're doing a tribute to the Greats of Broadway. It's actually Rachel's kind of thing. You should really come with us."

Rachel glanced up at Finn and wrapped her arm around his waist. "You know, that does sound like a lot of fun, but tonight is just about us. Perhaps another time."

"Are you sure? It'll be fun," he sang, leaning in to tickle her bump. She started giggling wildly as he caught her ticklish spots until she fought his hands off and composed herself.

"I'm sure."

"Okay, we'll let you enjoy your night. See you tomorrow then." They bid them adieu and wandered over to the box office to get their tickets.

They moved forward in line as the doors opened but even after Kurt and Blaine had ventured out of sight, Finn still seemed tense. "What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing. I'm just anxious to get inside."

The show took forever and Rachel was so engrossed in the performance that every time Finn tried to start fooling around with her, she shooed him away and shushed him. They barely got to talk during the intermission even as Rachel scampered to the bathroom and was gone the entire fifteen minutes. When it finally ended, they sat and waited for the crowd to thin before attempting to leave to keep the possibility of injury to Rachel down.

"Thanks for bringing me to see the show. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. Did you enjoy it?"

She tilted her hand and scrunched her face. "I've seen better but I've seen worse." Her stomach grumbled loudly then. "Are there any plans for food?"

"Actually, there were."

"Were?"

He hung his head and leaned his elbows on his knees. "I was actually going to take you to The Jazz Square, but I know if we go there Kurt will not leave us alone."

"We could be stealthy about it. It's kind of a thrill to sneak around and be all secretive." Rachel put her arm through Finn's and leaned her chin on his shoulder, speaking quietly into his ear. "The Jazz Square is pretty dark inside and we could find a corner to avoid Kurt and Blaine and make-out in…and eat because I'm starving. But then we can make-out."

Finn faced her with a sly grin on his lips. "After you, babe…" he motioned for Rachel to lead the way.

The next two hours passed quickly, Finn and Rachel sitting in a booth in the back, snuggled close and making out between bites of food. They were locked in their own little world, focused solely on the other, unable to keep their hands or eyes from raking over one another.

"Are you done with your fries?" Rachel asked, picking one up and dipping it into some ranch dressing before popping it in her mouth.

"They're all yours if you want 'em."

She smiled and slipped her fingers into his hair, pulling his head closer to press her forehead to his. "I was hoping you'd say that." She kissed him and picked up another fry.

"I have no idea how you are still hungry. You ate like..." Rachel raised her eyebrow at him, "like a sexy, hot, super sexy woman."

"Nice save."

Finn slid his hand up the inside of Rachel's thigh and she rested her arms on his shoulders. "Did you want dessert?"

She turned her body and hooked her legs over Finn's, crossing them at her ankles, the heels adding serious length to her already deceivingly long legs. "I have an even better idea." She pressed her lips to Finn's ear to whisper softly, "Why don't we go back to your place and I can show you the new lingerie I bought at Victoria's Secret yesterday?"

"I knew you bought naughty lingerie!" He pointed his finger accusingly at her but the smile on his face told her he wasn't really upset.

"I needed to have my own surprise for you." She toyed with his hair and Finn placed his hand on Rachel's belly, caressing her lovingly. "So what do you say?"

"I'll get the check."

Rachel slid her legs off Finn and crawled over his body to get out of the booth, giving him a fantastic view of her chest. He placed his hands on her ass to keep her stable and she paused over his groin. "I'll be right back," she brushed her nose against his, her bump pressing into his chest and her lips hovering over Finn's, "then I'm going to unleash the full force of these horny pregnancy hormones all over you."

"If there wasn't an entire club full of people here, you'd be on your back on this table right now."

"Save it for the bedroom, tiger." She patted his chest and climbed off him, sashaying away as best she could for Finn's benefit.

Unfortunately for her, she was trying so hard to keep Finn's eyes glued to her ass that she failed to notice the couple watching her walk to the women's room.

Spruced up and feeling sexy again, Rachel sauntered back out to Finn who appeared to be searching for something. "Everything alright?"

"I can't find my wallet." He felt around in his jacket and his pants, only pulling out his cell phone and ticket stubs.

"You paid for the cab and churros earlier. You must have had it then."

That's when it dawned on him. "I left my wallet at work. I stopped by there after getting the tickets to grab my nice tie and Puck wrestled 50 bucks from me. I must have forgotten to grab it again once I stole back my 50 bucks. I don't have enough cash left to cover dinner."

"Well, I can pay for dinner so we can go."

"You aren't paying for dinner, Rach. It's your romantic date; I won't let you pay for it."

Rachel ran her hands over her belly. "Then what do you suggest we do? Dishes?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, once again, I'd like to welcome you to The Jazz Square. We're in the thick of open mic and I've just been informed that we have a special dedication to give," the MC for the night informed the patrons of the club. "Up next, we have a very special song from one Finn Hudson to his girlfriend, Rachel Berry." The spotlight found Finn at their table and he turned into a deer in headlights. "Come on up, Finn!" The man waved at him to join him on the stage and the crowd began to applaud for him.

Rachel turned on him with confusion all over her features. "You didn't tell me you signed up to sing."

"I didn't."

"Don't be shy now, Finn. I'm sure Rachel is dying to hear the song you picked for her."

He gulped thickly and looked at Rachel. "What should I do?"

"You could sing…"

"I can't sing in front of people. The shower is one thing, but on stage? I'm a drummer, not a singer!"

She gripped his hand and pulled him to his feet. "You don't have to do this but I will say, I think you're really sexy when you sing." Her eyes smoldered while she bit her lip.

"You do?"

"Uh huh. It would be really sweet if you went through with it. Just pretend you're in the shower and that I'm about to join you. We can act it out for real later."

Finn nearly sprinted for the stage and tried not to think about the crowded club watching his every move as he walked up the steps. The MC handed him a microphone and pointed out the screens embedded in the stage that would have the lyrics.

"What song am I singing?"

"You're the one who picked it. Don't you know?" Finn stared at the man blankly. "The lyrics are right in front of you. Just go with it."

The MC walked off stage after introducing Finn once more and the music began to play. He didn't recognize the tune but it sounded rather dated. As the first line showed up on the screen, he paled.

_You're having my baby_ flashed in front of him and his mouth just fell open in horror. He stared out at the crowd and caught the porcelain skin of a raucously laughing little man who was going to get a beat down so bad once he got off that stage.

Kurt had done this. Somehow he found out they were at the club and as punishment for hiding the truth from him, Kurt was using humiliation. As if impromptu karaoke weren't bad enough, he just had to pick this awkward song about some dude happy his lady was having his baby. Kurt was dead.

Back at the table, Rachel was cringing. Had she known this was the song Finn was going to be singing, she would have performed her first ever dine and ditch. Everyone was staring at her, some in sympathy, some with thinly veiled laughter, and one greasy haired cousin who was going to get a serious kick in the nuts. As she made eye contact with Blaine, he smirked and waved his fingers at her.

"That is it. The little man is getting it." Rachel threw her napkin down on the table and grabbed her clutch, putting down enough to pay for dinner plus tip, then stormed through the tables to slap Blaine across the back of the head when she reached him. "You think this is funny?! This is humiliating, Blaine! You put Finn and I on the spot just for laughs. How would you like it if we took something important to you and made a mockery of it?"

"Rachel, it's just a song."

"It's embarrassing! And shame on you too, Kurt. You knew Finn was making tonight special for us and how important it was to him that it go smoothly and you pulled this stunt anyway. Why would you do that?"

Blaine and Kurt looked down at the table in shame. "We were just having a little fun. Finn and I do this kind of thing to each other all the time. Finn digs a trap under my beach towel so my ass gets stuck in a sinkhole when I sit back down and I sign him up to sing karaoke. Honestly what he does is usually worse."

"This isn't some game. This is my relationship with my boyfriend and the father of my child. If you want to mess with Finn, do it on your own time, not on mine."

Finn's song finally ended and he jumped off the stage to half-hearted applause before lifting Kurt out of his chair by his lapels. "If I weren't about to go home and get laid, I'd kick your ass right now." He released his brother's jacket and Kurt got huffy as he smoothed out the wrinkles.

"You both are taking this whole thing way too seriously. It was just a joke. You actually sounded really good up there."

"That isn't the point. You interrupted my date night after I told you how important this was to me. You know I don't generally care if you prank me, but not on nights like this, Kurt."

Kurt put his hands up in defeat. "Alright, okay? I'm sorry. My actions were immature and inappropriate and I apologize for signing you up to sing. We shouldn't have put you on the spot and disturbed you."

"We'll talk about this later. We're going home." Finn placed his hand on the small of Rachel's back and led her away from the table. "Shit…the bill."

"I paid. It's fine. Let's just go."

They made it outside and started walking down the street, hand in hand. "I'm sorry you had to pay. We can stop at the restaurant and get my wallet."

"Finn, it's fine, really. You can pay me back tomorrow. Let's just go home."

"Okay." Finn felt around in his pockets for his keys, sighing tiredly when he realized they were missing too. "Actually…we have to stop by the restaurant because my keys are with my wallet."

"Please tell me you're messing with me."

"You think I want to waste anymore time not having sex with you? I'd break down my door but then I'd have to pay for it. Unless you want to go to your apartment?"

"No, no, nooo…your bed is bigger and then we don't need to worry about Blaine interrupting us."

They stopped at the crosswalk and Finn smoothed his hand around Rachel's back to pull her in for a hug. "Then we have no choice but to stop at the restaurant."

Half an hour later, Rachel was fidgeting in the taxi while waiting for Finn to return from inside the restaurant. The cabbie looked at her in the rearview mirror impatiently. "He'll be out in a minute, I swear," Rachel placated.

"That's what you said five minutes ago."

She huffed and pulled some cash out of her clutch. "Here, just take what I owe you. We'll get another cab." Rachel climbed out of the cab and walked into the restaurant to find out what was taking Finn so long. When she saw why, Rachel clutched her stomach and pulled in a sharp breath.

Standing in front of Finn was a total mood killer: Jesse St. James.

"Jesse? What are you doing here?" she asked, walking up between the two men. Their eyes were hard, foreheads furrowed, and their jaws set in anger. Rachel slung her arm around Finn's waist, her other hand resting on top of her bump.

Jesse stared at Rachel's stomach uncomfortably before flashing her a tense smile. "I'm here to see you actually. It's my fifth attempt at contacting you here. I tried asking your dads for your address or phone number but they declined to provide the information."

"There's a reason for that," Finn said through gritted teeth. "Rachel doesn't want you in her life. When are you going to get that through your thick skull?"

Rachel tilted her head back to look up at him, pulling away from Finn a little, glancing back over to Jesse. "You've been here five times looking for me?"

"Yes, but every time this goliath has interfered and his mohawked Neanderthal buddy forced me out of here. I suggested that he inform you of my presence and let you decide if you wanted to see me or not but he made the choice for you instead."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. "Finn, why haven't you told me that Jesse has been stopping by?"

"Because you said you didn't want anything to do with him again after the party. You don't need the stress of some douchebag judging you. I was trying to save you the aggravation."

She sighed heavily and rubbed her temples in frustration. "I wish you would have told me. This is how trouble always starts between us."

"Why does it matter? Nothing he has to say is important. I really was looking out for your best interest and trying to protect you." He ran his hand down her arm softly to take her hand in his.

"Actually, what I have to say is pretty important."

"What did you want to talk to me about exactly?" Rachel stared at Jesse expectantly as he leaned against the bar and gave her a cocky smirk.

"An opportunity of a lifetime."


	14. The Jerks

I hope this chapter can help brighten the dark Finchel times we're in right now just a little bit. My heart broke last Thursday and I just know the two halves will shatter completely this Thursday. This is why we need fanfiction more than ever right now.

* * *

Two weeks had passed and in that time, almost all the work Rachel and Finn had put into their relationship had nearly come undone.

After Jesse had showed up and spoken with Rachel, their romantic date night had ceased and Finn ended his night drinking away his sorrows. His rational mind couldn't fathom how Rachel could want anything to do with Jesse anymore after the way he had treated her and insulted their child. But apparently all the man had to do was turn on the smarmy charm and pretend to be contrite and Rachel was pliable like she never was with Finn.

But his emotional side chalked it up to Rachel's pregnancy hormones and old feelings dying hard. As much as he hated it, Jesse was Rachel's first love, however messed up their relationship was, and those feelings often lingered long after everything was said and done and even after attempts at forcing them away. Finn supposed that was why he had eventually forgiven Santana after all she had put him through and he figured this was similar for Rachel.

So when Rachel decided to let Jesse have his word, Finn grudgingly went along with it.

_ "As much as I love dramatic telling of news, I really don't have time for cryptic messages. Get to the point," Rachel said in a huff._

_ "I have been presented with an opportunity to do more than just apologize with words to you for my actions at your family's party." Rachel's eyebrow popped up in intrigue. "If you so choose, I can set up a meeting for you with a producer putting together a new show. She's a friend of mine from L.A. and has just recently moved back to New York to make a comeback on the stage," Rachel was about to interrupt, but Jesse put his hands out to stop her. "I know what you're thinking. The show is still in the very early stages of pre-production and wouldn't even be ready to begin rehearsals until after you have your baby."_

_ Rachel's brow pulled together as she tried to make sense of what Jesse was saying. "You have a part for me in a show that will be out next spring?"_

_ "I don't have the part, per se. I can just set up the meeting with the producer and show's star. There are supporting roles that you could fill. You would have to audition, it isn't a freebee, but at least if you got your name out to the people in charge, you'd have a better chance at getting a part. I know it isn't a leading role, but this could be the gateway to one."_

_ Finn scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Is there a problem?" Jesse asked tersely._

_ "This just sounds like a lame attempt at getting back into Rachel's pants."_

_ "I'm trying to apologize to one of my oldest friends for being a jerk to her. I'm trying to help. This offer is more than _you've_ done for her career." He glared at Rachel's swollen belly._

_ "Jesse, thank you for the offer, but it isn't necess-" Rachel began until Finn stepped closer to the smaller man before him, barely registering Rachel's warning grip on his arm. She could sense a blow about to be dealt and needed to bring Finn back to a level-headed state. "Finn, take a step back and calm down. He isn't worth it."_

_But Finn hadn't listened. "I think you're just trying to keep her in your debt. If she gets this part because of you, she'll always have to be grateful to you which is all you want. I can't blame you for wanting her back, but you're out of line. You had your chance and blew it and now she's found something better and you can't handle it."_

_ Jesse laughed without humor. "You think you're better than me? Okay, let's compare notes…you own a shitty little restaurant employed by morons and you ruined a budding young ingénue's chance at brilliance by knocking her up with your inferior spawn. I am an Emmy Award winning actor with the means to clean up the mess you've made. I can give Rachel the stardom and glory she wants and deserves while all you have to offer is a lousy hamburger and a meager child support check for the unwanted thing growing in her stomach."_

_ Seeing red and no longer able to control his temper as the current bane of his existence spewed offences against him, Finn threw a punch, hitting Jesse square in the face and knocking him to the ground. "Don't you dare talk about my kid or my restaurant that way! And it was a Daytime Emmy. No one fucking cares!" he hollered at him._

_ Rachel gasped in shock, covering her mouth while her eyes flickered between the two men until she could make herself speak. "Finn!" was all she was able to get out before Jesse pushed himself back to his feet._

_ He spit out some blood that had dripped into his mouth from what appeared to be a broken nose, staring at Finn with fire in his dark eyes. "It's still an Emmy!" Jesse bellowed as he barreled into Finn at the waist, tackling him to the ground._

_ The men brawled on the floor and everyone in the restaurant watched, mouths agape and food forgotten on their plates. All Rachel could do was stand rigid in place, horror at the turn of events seeping into her very bones. This was not how she had pictured Finn getting physical that night._

_ It was only when she heard the sound of wood cracking and saw Puck entering the mix to break them up that she regained control of her body and mind, realizing she had to do something to break them up. "Stop it! Both of you stop!" she shrieked at the men, rolling around punching and kicking each other. She heard Finn yelp loudly and covered a sob threatening to escape from her mouth._

_ "Did you just bite me?!" Finn roared, swinging his fist around to catch the smaller man in the eye._

_ After what seemed an eternity, Puck managed to pry Finn off Jesse, separating them far enough so their limbs could no longer reach the other. The men were disheveled and bloody, more like ruffians than the gentlemen Rachel knew them both capable of being. She moved between them and steamed as she glared daggers at them both._

_ "You both make me sick!" She rounded on Jesse first. "You need to get it through your head that I am with Finn now and I am having his baby, a baby which is half mine and which I do not appreciate you calling 'inferior spawn', 'thing', and a bastard. If you really wanted to apologize to me, you wouldn't have insulted my boyfriend and unborn child in front of me. And Finn is right. I know all of this was an attempt to get back on my good side and steal me away from Finn using my quest for Broadway fame to do so. Well, I can see through you and I am not falling for it. I don't want to be with you and I don't need or want your help to make my dreams come true. I will not be so eternally grateful that I throw myself at you nor will I allow my career to blossom because of your manipulations. I will not be in your debt."_

_ As she turned to her boyfriend she grew even more perturbed. "And you…wipe that smirk off your face!" Finn had been enjoying watching his firecracker of a girlfriend knock Jesse down a few pegs, at least until Rachel caught him doing so. "If you think I'm mad at Jesse…you haven't seen mad at you yet. You are the father of my child, and I thought, a man who was mature enough to use his words and be the bigger person, but obviously that assessment is incorrect. You're a child." She stepped closer to him and pressed her finger into his chest angrily. "Do you think fighting is settling a good example? We are having a baby together, Finn, and here you are getting into fisticuffs with a man who means nothing to me anymore. What if our child was around and old enough to witness that?! Instead of letting me speak for myself, you just had to jump in for me when it wasn't needed to have a pissing contest. Do you not trust me enough to deal with Jesse on my own? Do you think he'll just say a few sweet words, offer me a role, and I'll fall back into bed with him?"_

_ "Of course not," he muttered, shame marring his face._

_ "Then let me handle him like an adult since obviously you can't get past the level of an adolescent boy!" She took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. "If you could have just listened to me and backed off, we'd be back at your apartment in bed right now, but instead, I'm taking your opinion away and making the decision for us both to go to our own homes alone. So have fun getting yourself off tonight because there is no way I'm letting you touch me again until you grow up and act like a man. I do not sleep with boys."_

_ Rachel sent him one last stabbing glare before moving around him and holding her head high as she walked to the door and exited the premises. Finn stared after her longingly before remembering he had an unwanted pest fouling up his restaurant._

_ "I want you out of my restaurant now or I will call the cops for trespassing." Finn stared stone faced at his nemesis that didn't budge. "Now!" A few patrons who were still enthralled with the events jumped before going back to their dinners._

_ "You'll be hearing from my lawyer," Jesse replied darkly before slipping away in the same direction Rachel had gone._

_ Needing to do damage control to salvage his reputation as a respectable restaurateur, Finn took a deep breath to shake off his anger, and turned to his patrons. "Ladies and gentlemen, I do apologize for the scene I was unfortunately involved in. To show you my deepest regrets and my continued appreciation for your continued business, everyone's dessert is on me tonight. Thank you everyone and I do apologize again." He took a little bow before attempting to stalk off to the back office, only Puck stood in his way like a brick wall. His best friend was not happy._

_ "Do you know how long it is going to take Sam to clean up this mess?!"_

_ "Hey!" Sam whined from behind the bar. "Why do I have to clean it?"_

_ "Because I ain't staying after close to clean. I got kids and a wife to get up for school in four hours."_

_ "So do I!"_

_ "You don't have kids and Mercedes is in Los Angeles this weekend. You got time. Now find a broom and start sweeping!" Sam grumbled as he stalked off to the back to find cleaning supplies. "You better follow your woman and make up with her before she gives you the silent treatment for two weeks again."_

_ "No, I need to give her some space to cool down. She'll just turn me away if I try to go after her now."_

_ Puck shrugged. "It's your relationship." He took Sam's place behind the bar and Finn grabbed a stool, requesting the strongest drink Puck could make to drown his sorrows in._

_ Out on the street, Rachel was fuming as she walked back and forth trying to catch a cab and failing as they all passed her by with fares already in them. As she turned to try the other direction, she groaned as Jesse came into view and headed straight for her. She had to admit, the fact his nose was broken, marring his usually perfect appearance, did make her feel a little better._

_ "I am in no mood to talk to you so please just leave me alone."_

_ "I truly am sorry. It was not my intention to come here and insult you or win you back or put you in my debt. I'm merely attempting to assist a fellow artist who I believe deserves to be seen and heard by the world. I have wronged you so many times and it's eaten away at me for so long."_

_ Rachel rolled her eyes, not buying what he was selling. "You don't care about anyone but yourself, Jesse. You expect me to believe you suddenly had a change of heart and want to clear your conscience?"_

_ Jesse grabbed her upper arms to increase the impact of his words. "Yes! I've been doing a lot of evaluation of my life recently and I realized the one thing I regretted most was leaving you. I wasn't just leaving some girl behind, I left my best friend behind." He paused and dipped his head. "But this isn't just about making amends with you, I understand if you can't forgive me for all I've done," Rachel highly doubted that, "this is about making sure the most talented woman in New York doesn't throw away everything she's worked for because of an unplanned pregnancy."_

_ "Jesse, I told you, I'm not throwing anything away. I'm still going to pursue Broadway."_

_ "You may think that now but when you're ten years down the line, a stay-at-home wife wondering how your life got so drastically off course, you're going to regret at least not talking to my friend. I don't think you realize just how much harder you will have to work to make it with a baby around. You're going to be so exhausted and swamped being a mother that you will not feel up to channeling the grueling auditioning process or have the time. If you talk with the producer now, you could have a job waiting for you already and skip over that whole hassle."_

_ "I still don't understand why you care so much out of the blue. We haven't spoken or seen each other in years."_

_ "Because I was always certain you would become a star. But now that certainty is in jeopardy. I won't sit around and let you lose everything when I can do something about it."_

_ Rachel stared at him in amazement. "Wow, I don't know whether to be flattered that you think so highly of my talent or offended that you think so little of my drive and determination. I don't need you or your help. So please, leave me alone and stay out of my life." She turned to stalk off until Jesse's cold voice rang out through the dark night._

_ "I'm filing an assault complaint against Finn. He punched me first and broke my nose and there are dozens of witnesses in that restaurant to corroborate the story." Rachel paused and slowly turned back around to face him. "I have a pretty cutthroat lawyer too. She could probably make sure Finn sees jail time." She paled and swallowed thickly in response. "It would probably happen right around the time your little bundle of joy is due to arrive too. What a shame it would be if Finn had to see his child for the first time through bullet proof glass."_

_ "What do you want Jesse?" Rachel could feel the tears prickling in her eyes. Was he really going to do this?_

_ "I want you to meet with my friend. That's all you have to do and perhaps I'll change my mind."_

_ Her eyes began to burn as the tears spilled over. "This is your idea of an apology? Blackmailing me into doing what you want?" He didn't say anything. "You haven't changed at all."_

_ "I'm doing this for your good. I _will not_ sit idly by and watch you waste your life." He stepped closer to her and placed his hand on her cheek. "There is one thing I will say for pregnancy, you really are glowing."_

_ "Don't touch me!" Rachel growled, slapping his hand away from her face. "You swear if I just meet with your friend, you will leave Finn alone?"_

_ He put his hands up. "On my honor."_

_ Rachel felt defeated. Jesse had won this round as there was no way she could let Finn go to jail. Jesse's lawyer was his mother and she was tough as nails and terrifying in the court room and Rachel knew he was absolutely serious about putting Finn behind bars. She couldn't let that happen. She needed him, not just to raise their baby, but because _she_ needed him. It was at that moment that it hit her…Rachel was in love with Finn. _

_The feeling had been in her for awhile, but she had never understood what exactly it was until that moment when she knew she would do whatever necessary to protect him. When she was with Jesse and Brody, she had thought she loved them, and on some level she did, but not like she loved Finn. Even now when she was so angry at him for his behavior, she couldn't fathom not having him around to hold her and kiss her and make her laugh and even cry._

"_When will this meeting take place?"_

"_I need to get in contact with her first, but sometime within the next two weeks."_

_Rachel pulled in a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. "Fine. I'll meet with your friend."_

_Jesse's smile chilled her to the bone and she felt dirty for making a deal with him. "Good. I'll be needing your phone number to get in contact with you." He handed over his phone and Rachel punched in her number. "Great. So, I will be calling you soon. Now I will leave you to get home and get some rest. You will need to be at your very best. If you'll excuse me, I need to get to the hospital now to fix my nose."_

_Jesse stalked away then, hailing a cab easily, leaving Rachel alone with her thoughts on the street. She couldn't tell Finn about the little arrangement she had just made. It would only send him over the edge again and she really didn't want Finn to go to jail for murder. But at the same time, she couldn't very well lie to him. If she didn't tell him and he later found out it would only cause more problems for their relationship._

_She had no other option but to sit him down and calmly explain that she was doing this for him and the only reason she had to do it in the first place was because he just had to get violent. Surely he could accept that. But it could wait until after he had groveled and suffered through the silent treatment for a little while._

_The only problem was, a few hours later, Finn came drunkenly pounding on her door making it impossible to ignore him. "Rachel!" he yelled through the door. "Rachel! Open up! I'm gotta talk to you!" He continued to bang on the door loudly until Rachel ripped it open and stared up at him through groggy and annoyed eyes._

"_It is five in the morning," she hissed, pulling him inside and closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here?" He swayed on his feet and looked like he was about to cry. "Did you bathe in booze? God, you reek." She wasn't sure if he was actually that saturated with alcohol or if it was just her pregnancy super sniffer making it smell that way._

"_I just…I _hate_'im. He hurt you an' called our baby names an' I won' take that. Imma man, dammit, an' a man stands up for his family!" he slurred in her face, pointing a finger dangerously close to her nose. "I'm sorry I punched the assface but he's jus'…a assface."_

_Rachel stifled a chuckle. She was supposed to be mad at him, especially for getting completely drunk and waking her so early after such a long night, but he had a point about Jesse. "Finn, you're drunk right now. This is not the time to have this conversation."_

_He squeezed his eyes together tightly before reopening them, appearing dazed. "When did you get a twin?" he asked, pointing at her and the empty space next to her._

"_Finn, you need to go to bed. As you are in no condition to go home however, you can sleep on the couch."_

"_But I wanna sleep in bed with you an' your sexy twin," he whined as Rachel led him over to the couch._

"_You're not sleeping in bed with me. I'm still mad at you."_

_He pouted like a small child, lying back on the couch and staring up at her through hooded eyes. "Is your twin mad too?"_

"_Finn, I don't have a twin. You're seeing double."_

_He groaned and clutched at his forehead. "Make the room stop spinning."_

_As Finn began to regret drinking while he lay on the couch in agony, Rachel pulled his shoes off and grabbed him a pillow and some blankets as well as the garbage can from the bathroom in case he decided to give all the unabsorbed alcohol in his stomach back. She left him a few aspirin and a glass of water on the table for when he woke up and despite her disappointment in his actions that night pressed her lips gently to his forehead._

"_Get some sleep, Finn. We'll talk when you're sober."_

_Finn gurgled out something in response before his eyes drooped closed and light snores escaped from his mouth._

_The next time he cracked his eyes open, the room was blindingly bright and the smell of fried bologna wafted through the air as melodious singing accompanied it. He recognized the lyrics as Fun.'s 'We Are Young' and he thought the goddess singing sounded unbelievable, even through his hangover._

_He sat up, instantly regretting the decision. The room seemed to wobble around him and the only thing that made it stop was slamming his eyes shut and throwing his head back down onto the pillow. Finn turned so his face was in the pillow, making it dark and relieving some of the pain of the bright yellow light hitting his sensitive eyes. But he picked his head up when he heard the singing stop and the sound of cupboards and plates._

_Rachel caught his eye over the counter and she didn't exactly look pleased as she walked over to him, placing the food on the coffee table. "You don't deserve it, but I made you breakfast. I know you like fried bologna on a bagel."_

_Finn sat up slower this time, the room not spinning quite as much and made room for Rachel to sit next to him. She sat in the middle seat, crossing her legs under her, and running her hands over her rotund stomach. "Thank you."_

"_You're welcome."_

_He picked up the plate and sniffed at the food. The smell of grease from the bologna was making his stomach roll but he didn't want to offend Rachel by not eating her usually delicious cooking. He took a bite and forced himself to swallow. "It's good." Finn smiled at her and received a small one in return. "I hate to ask, but what happened last night? I don't remember much after Puck handed over the bottle of tequila."_

"_Is that going to be how you handle our arguments now? Drown yourself in a bottle of booze and show up in the middle of the night drunk? That's not healthy, Finn."_

"_I know. I don't usually drink away my problems but last night…I just needed to get out of my head for a bit. I'm sorry for anything I did or said last night."_

"_You didn't really do or say anything too bad. You mostly just swayed on your feet before passing out on my couch." She swallowed and tried to think of a good way to steer the conversation around to her conversation with Jesse._

"_I guess that's a good thing." She nodded in agreement. "Rachel, I'm sorry for starting that fight with Jesse. It was immature and stupid and I don't want to be that guy that uses his fists to do his talking. I need to be better than that, for you and for her." He placed his hand on top of her belly and smoothed it over her shirt._

"_Her?" Rachel asked, picking up on his use of the feminine pronoun._

"_Hmm?"_

"_You said 'her'. You called our baby 'her'. Usually you call her 'him'."_

_Finn's mouth twitched and he stared down at her belly, still running his hand over it. "I guess you're rubbing off on me. I don't really care if we have a boy or a girl. I just care that he or she is healthy and happy. I care about making sure you're happy."_

_Rachel placed her hand over his, entwining their fingers. "I have something I need to tell you."_

_ "Well…" he narrowed his eyes, "you're already pregnant so it can't be that…" He chuckled thinking he was funny, but Rachel didn't laugh with him. In fact, she didn't look happy at all. "What's going on?" Now he was worried._

_ "After I left the restaurant last night, Jesse found me outside and we had a conversation." Finn visibly tensed at this news. "He asked me to reconsider his offer but I refused again. I want nothing to do with Jesse anymore, I promise you, but…Finn, he said if I didn't meet with his friend, he's going to press charges against you for assaulting him. He said he'd make sure you see jail time and as his mother is one of the best lawyers in New Jersey and is licensed to practice in New York, she could make it happen. I don't want to watch you go to jail, so I told him I would talk to his friend."_

_ "He's blackmailing you?!" She nodded in confirmation. "That fucking…Rachel, you don't need to do this for me. You don't need to cave to his demands. He can't do anything to me."_

_ "Finn, his mother-"_

_ "Has nothing on Santana. She's one of the best attorneys in the state and I know she'd win any case I could hand her."_

_ "Finn, it really isn't that bad of a deal. All I have to do is meet with his friend and he'll leave us alone."_

_ "No he won't. He'll continue to hold this over your head, making you do more and more otherwise he'll press charges. I'm not going to let him control you. If I call his bluff, he won't have a leg to stand on."_

_ "But what if you go to court and lose? You did hit him first. I can't watch you go to jail. I can't bring our baby to visit you behind plate glass. I can't have this baby alone." Tears began to bead in her eyes and her voice cracked as she envisioned Finn in an orange jumpsuit, a phone to his ear and a heartbreaking smile on his face as she sat on the other side holding their baby. It was a horrible picture._

_ Finn moved closer to her and cupped her face with his hands, brushing away a tear with his thumb. "Rachel, that won't happen. I promise. Maybe, maybe I can talk to Jesse. Work out something outside of court that doesn't involve you. Pay for plastic surgery to fix his nose or something."_

_ Rachel shook her head, not believing him or that Jesse would be amenable to a course of repayment that didn't involve her. She was the key and only she could solve the problem. "That won't work, Finn. I have to do this. I won't chance losing you and I know Jesse will never agree to anything you could come up with that doesn't involve me in some way."_

_ "Rachel, I'm not letting you go through with this."_

_ "I wouldn't have to go through with this if you had just controlled your temper," she replied, her voice and face growing darker. "It's just a meeting. There's a possibility I may not even get the part."_

_ "That's not the point. You can't let Jesse manipulate you. There has to be another way out of this arrangement."_

_ Rachel pushed herself up from the couch. "There isn't, Finn. This is how it's going to be, so just accept it and let's try to move on."_

_ Finn stood too. "I can't. I made this mess. I will be the one to clean it up." He pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead and slipped his shoes on haphazardly, heading for the door._

_ "Where are you going?" Rachel called after him, suddenly worried he would do something drastic that would only make the situation worse._

_ "I'm fixing this," was his only reply as he ran down the stairs._

_ Rachel tried to follow him, but due to her inability to move quickly these days, she just missed him as he climbed into a cab. She called after him frantically but he didn't heed her cries._

Finn spent days seeking out Jesse and tried to appeal to his humanity and decent side but it seemed the man didn't have one. Rachel had been right. No amount of begging, pleading, financial gain or other bribery could sway Jesse's mind. He wanted Rachel and only Rachel would do.

But Finn couldn't accept that. If he couldn't fight Jesse in a civil manner, he was going to have to get dirty and there was only one person who could get the job done.

Unfortunately, his handling of the situation infuriated Rachel and it seemed every time they spoke, they got into a fight. It exploded completely when she informed him that Jesse had set up the meeting for the following Monday and she was going no matter what Finn did or said.

He was running out of time for his plan to work.

But the day before she was due to meet with the producer, he got the call he had been waiting for and everything fell into place. Feeling confident that his plan would work so Jesse would never interfere in their lives again, Finn called Rachel that night to explain.

"I have a plan," he stated in lieu of a greeting.

"_What are you talking about?_"

"For dealing with Jesse."

"_Finn, we aren't having this discussion again. The meeting is tomorrow and I'm going._"

"Yes, you are."

"_You can't change my min- wait, did you just agree with me?_"

"I did," he laughed into the phone. She sounded completely surprised. "I told you, I have a plan."

"_Oh Finn, no. Whatever you're planning, it can't be good. Please, just-_"

He cut her off, "Rachel, you just need to trust me."

"_I can't. After your conduct the last time you were in a room together, how can I trust that won't happen again?_"

"Because I have some information about Jesse that I know he doesn't want anyone finding out." Rachel fell silent on the other end of the line. He could hear her breathing, but she didn't say a word. "Rach?"

"_Finn, what is your plan?_"

"I don't want to spoil it. It's really good and it will guarantee us a victory against Jesse's douchebaggery. All you need to do is get ready for your meeting tomorrow and do whatever you have to to impress that producer. I'm going with you to this meeting though. I'll pick you up around eleven."

"_This does not sound like it will end well. And since when are you so okay with me actually talking with this producer?_"

Finn sighed and laid back on his couch. "You have a point about answering when opportunity knocks. I was being a little selfish in not wanting you to talk with this producer because whether the producer liked you or not, Jesse would always be there lording it over you how _he_ got the part for you. But with my plan, Jesse won't be a factor anymore. You'll get the part because of your talent and nothing else and I'm not going to be the reason you have to wait for your dream anymore than I already am. I still believe in you and that you could get any part on your own, but if one is presented to you so easily, there's no reason not to jump at it, right? I just didn't want Jesse to control you anymore."

"_I don't want Jesse to control me either._" She sighed into the phone. "_But I'm still confused on how you think you'll get him to leave us alone for good. What do you have on him?_"

"You'll find out tomorrow, babe. Right now, you need to get some rest. Take care Rachel, and tell baby I love her and miss her."

Rachel chuckled lightly. "_Baby loves and misses you too. Goodnight, Finn._"

They hung up and Finn stared at his phone, going to his pictures and smiling at one he took of Rachel when she had spent the night at his apartment. She was wearing one of his NYU t-shirts and a pair of little black shorts, a shining smile on her face as she showed off her 15 weeks pregnant belly for him and the camera.

He wished he had told Rachel he loved her. The words had been on the tip of his tongue for weeks now, but the moment never seemed right. He wanted it to be epic when he finally confessed the depths of his feelings, not just some throwaway line over the phone, yet, he was scared. What if he took the initiative and said the words but Rachel didn't feel the same and couldn't say them back? He would be devastated and it might just break his heart. Plus, the past two weeks had been so filled with drama and strife, he wasn't sure it would be appropriate yet.

Things had been so strained between them, but with his new plan that would be executed the next afternoon, things would improve…he hoped.

The next day they sat at the restaurant Jesse had told Rachel to meet him at, nervously awaiting his arrival with his producer friend.

"I really wish you would disclose your plan to me," Rachel stated once again.

Finn comfortingly rubbed her back. "It's better if you don't know yet."

"How is that? Don't you think I should have some idea so that I'm not blindsided?"

"The only one who is going to be blindsided is Jesse."

"Rachel…_Finn_," Jesse's voice called as he approached the table, a blonde woman following behind him. "What is he doing here, Rachel?"

"Finn is here to support me."

The woman stopped next to Jesse and Rachel's mouth fell open, a small gasp escaping her lips. Jesse turned to his companion to introduce her. "Rachel, I'd like you to meet Cassandra-"

"July, I know."

Cassandra's head tilted to the side and she narrowed her eyes in sudden recognition. "David Schwimmer?"

"_Cassandra_," Rachel bit back, her jaw clenched so hard it almost hurt.

Jesse seemed baffled, as did Finn, and both men's eyes volleyed between the two women. "Wait…you two know each other already?"

"Little Miss Wannabe and I go way back. She was a student of mine when I still worked at NYADA." Cassandra sat down, leaning on the table to get a better look at Rachel. "I see you've gotten far," she said with harsh sarcasm.

Jesse joined them at the table. "So then you know how talented Rachel is."

Cassandra snorted derisively and began to laugh. "Talented? The girl is mediocre at best. Her pique turns are shit and she has about as much sex appeal as a paper bag. _This_ is the girl you thought would be perfect for my show?"

"Excuse me, but who do-" Finn began until Rachel cut him off. He wanted so badly to chew this crude woman out, but heeded Rachel's warning. There was no way he would jeopardize their happy place again.

"Finn, I can handle her. Unlike Cassie, I'm not well past my prime and a bitter old maid with nothing to show for her career or personal life."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I'm sure that's the case. If you're doing _so_ well, why is it you need Jesse St. James's help getting a part?"

"I don't need Jesse St. James's help to get anything. I'm only here because he's a manipulative tool blackmailing me. And now that I know whose show he's trying to push, I don't feel so bad turning it down. I'd rather do dinner theatre for the rest of my life than work with a woman as bat-shit crazy and cruel as you." Rachel crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

"I'm happy you feel that way because there is no way I'd let you touch my show. I actually need people who are good at singing, dancing, and acting."

Rachel pushed herself to her feet and slammed her hands down on the table. "You will rue the day you met me because I _will_ become everything you wished you could be. I'm not going to squander all my chances and turn into a lonely, cranky drunk with nothing better to do than spew caustic words at everyone she meets just to prop herself up and make her feel better about all her failures. Unlike you, Cassandra, I'm going to be happy with my boyfriend and my child, and my name is going to be in lights and everyone is going to know who I am while you spend your days wallowing in self-pity. So good luck finding someone who wants to work with the ugly hag that you are on the sure to be train wreck of a show you're putting on."

She stepped away from the table and made to exit until Cassandra spoke, vitriol lacing every word.

"You're still that pathetic little girl. You think you're going to make it out there in the big bad world of show biz? You honestly believe you're ready to handle the pressure of Broadway? Of countless hours of rehearsal with professionals who are actually good at their jobs, and performances every night, the rigorous demands on your mind, body, and soul? You couldn't handle my class, you can't handle a show."

"I can handle anything." She tried to sound self-assured, but her voice came out in an uncertain wave.

Cassandra turned to Jesse with a raised brow. "Obviously couldn't handle a condom…" she muttered out of the corner of her mouth. He sniggered at the comment.

"If I weren't carrying the precious miracle of life within my womb at this moment, I would tear that cheap dye job out of your head and feed it to you!" Rachel barked at the woman who seemed somewhat impressed by her outburst. She stormed away to the front entrance, completely forgetting about Finn in her fury, but he honestly didn't mind at the moment. It gave him the opportunity he needed to put Jesse in his place for good.

"Well, Jess, this has been a colossal waste of my time. The next time you say you have 'New York's biggest up and comer', try being accurate before promising me a free lunch if I pretend to care about someone less talented than me." Cassandra patted him on the shoulder before getting to her feet.

Before she could leave, Finn had to say something however. "Hey Miss July, is it?" She turned back around to acknowledge him. "I'd just like to say that I hope your show tanks and you're a giant bitch who doesn't deserve talent like Rachel's in her production. So go fuck yourself."

"Like I haven't heard that before…" Cassandra turned back around and shouldered her purse before leaving.

"And as for you…" Finn glared at Jesse, "we need to have a discussion."

"The only way I will talk to you is through my lawyer."

"Good, because I mostly just need you to listen." He took a deep breath and readied himself. "You're going to leave Rachel alone for good. You're not going to pursue charges against me for assault, and you're going to pretend you've never even heard the name Rachel Berry unless someone asks you about her, and in that case, you will only have the highest praise to give."

"And why should I accept any of that?"

Finn opened the pictures on his phone. "Because I have you by the short and curlies." He showed Jesse the picture he had of him snorting cocaine off of what appeared to be a prostitute's stomach.

"That's clearly photoshopped." Only Jesse sounded nervous as he spoke, his eyes betraying him as they widened.

"Something tells me they aren't. And unless you want all your dirty little secrets exposed, you're going to go away, and stay there."

Jesse leaned closer and tried to steal the phone from Finn's hand but failed as Finn popped it back in his pocket. "Where did you get that?!" he whispered harshly.

"You aren't the only one with powerful friends. My friend Santana, her specialty is ruining people's credibility, and she can dig up any dirt anyone has to dig. And these pictures are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to you." He smirked triumphantly at the other man. "She found your medical records…"

"Those are sealed! Doctor/patient confidentiality-"

"Does not matter to Santana. She has a gift when it comes to getting what she wants, truly. I doubt you'd want the world to know about your problem with hepatitis. See, that's why you shouldn't sleep with hookers and share needles. Oh yeah, I know about your little stint in rehab too. That's why you got fired from your soap and came back to New York. I guess playing a drug addict wasn't enough for you, so you had to become one."

"No one will believe you."

"I have the pictures and documents to prove it. I wonder how much money I could make selling this…"

"I'll leave you and Rachel alone. Just…you can't…" For the first time, Finn saw a vulnerable side of the man he despised. There was true fear in his eyes and he looked ready to snap. "I've come too far to fall back into old habits. You can't tell anyone any of this. Please, it will destroy my reputation. I will do whatever you want."

Finn pulled out a folder and a pen out of his bag. "I want you to sign this document Santana drafted up saying that you won't contact Rachel in any way, shape, or form ever again and you won't file a complaint with the police for me beating the shit out of you in exchange for my silence and destroying of all evidence that could take you down." He handed it over. "It's ironclad so if you go back on it…"

"I won't."

"Good. I'm glad we could settle this like gentlemen."

Jesse scoffed but signed in all the right places. "Blackmail isn't exactly gentlemanly."

"Would you rather me punch you again? I'm just fighting fire with fire. When it comes to the people I love, I don't mess around." Jesse handed back the signed papers and Finn made sure he had dotted his I's and crossed his T's before smiling in victory and standing. "I look forward to never seeing you again."

As Finn walked out of the restaurant and headed in the direction he was sure Rachel had gone, for the first time in over two weeks, he felt confident that life could only get better from there on out.

But when he made it to Rachel's apartment and found her locked in her bedroom, the feeling plummeted to the pit of his stomach.

"Rach, baby, open the door."

"No. I don't want you to see me," she said through sniffles, the door muffling her voice further.

"Rachel, please. Everything is okay now. Jesse is out of the picture."

"Everything is not okay." The door opened a moment later and Rachel stood there, her face red and blotchy as mascara trailed down her cheeks. She wiped her nose with a tissue and turned to go back to her bed. "Cassandra is right. I'm not ready for the pressure. I was back before this," she motioned to her belly, "but not once she gets here. How am I supposed to find work when I have a baby to take care of? How am I supposed to juggle everything and not go crazy?"

Finn sat next to her and soothingly rubbed her back. "Rachel, Cassandra is an insane person who was just trying to get in your head."

"Well, she succeeded! I feel just like I did when I was 17 years old in her dance class. She makes me feel inadequate and like I will never amount to anything."

"You are not inadequate. You're the most talented and beautiful person I know, inside and out, and she's just jealous. You can't let her make you doubt yourself." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "I know you're going to be in the spotlight someday and I know deep down you know that too. You're just emotional right now because of everything that's been going on and she brought back bad memories for you. But you aren't that same 17 year old girl anymore. You're a strong young woman who won't take shit from anyone, especially some jerk and the bitch he brought with him."

Rachel tipped her head back and looked up into his eyes. "Do you mean that?"

"Absolutely. I know you're going to achieve everything you want and I'm going to be here helping you and supporting you ever step of the way."

She sniffled lightly and began wiping the tears from her face. "Thank you." He just kissed her forehead. Wanting to change the subject to get away from the negative thoughts and bad memories plaguing her, Rachel asked, "What was your plan exactly? For getting rid of Jesse?"

"This," he handed her the folder and she opened it, reading through the first few lines.

"I don't understand."

"I cashed in a favor with Santana and she did a little digging into Jesse's past using her connections. Turns out, his years in L.A. weren't all that glamorous. He came back to New York because he got fired from his job for showing up to set high on heroin."

Rachel gasped and sat up straighter. "Jesse has a drug problem? But he seems so clean and put together."

"He went to rehab between being fired and returning to the city and sobered up, but not before buying a few dozen hookers, trying basically every drug under the sun, and getting hepatitis from one of the two."

"That's…wow. I never would have suspected Jesse to become a drug addict. And this document…?"

"It's a contract that says he'll keep away and won't file a complaint against me if I keep quiet about his past and destroy all of my evidence. It's a clean slate for both of us, so neither one can hold anything over the other. Santana is a wiz at contracts so there isn't a single loophole in that thing. If he goes back on his end, we can retaliate."

"That sounds positively wicked." Rachel grinned almost evilly. "I love it. He deserves a little taste of his own medicine." She hugged him closely. "This was a very adult way of handling the situation. I'm glad you took the time to think about your actions before leaping."

"I needed something more concrete than a broken nose to stop him."

She pressed her lips to his. "Thank you. I'm just so happy we can put this whole Jesse mess behind us now and focus on us and becoming parents."

"Me too."

"You know what today is right?" Rachel crowed cheerily, her rapidly changing moods making appearance again. "It's Monday! Which means picture time!" She clapped her hands in joy and stood up, beginning to pull her dress off and slip on a t-shirt and shorts.

Finn rested back on the bed and smiled as he watched her move about the room, preparing for her weekly documenting of the belly. Being 19 weeks along, her stomach was thoroughly showing now no matter what she wore these days but Finn personally loved it. Every opportunity he could get, he would touch her, trying to feel their baby move, and getting a deeper connection to the little boy or girl he had sired.

"Okay, I am ready for my close-up, Mr. Hudson." She posed with her arms up and her hands on the back of her head, staring into the distance, as if she were a pin-up, and her shirt tied in the back to display her stomach.

Finn took several pictures from different angles on his phone before growing tired of playing photographer. Needing her, Finn grabbed Rachel's hands and pulled her to stand between his knees, placing his lips in the center of her stomach.

"I love you little girl. I always will," he mumbled against her taught skin, kissing her repeatedly.

Rachel felt a flutter. "She just moved. I think she's trying to say that she loves you too."

He pouted in disappointment. "I didn't feel it at all."

"She pressed against the inside again." Rachel crawled into Finn's lap, straddling his thighs, and rested her head onto his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Thank you for caring so much about me."

"You don't need to thank me for that. I'm happy to do it."

"But I do." She lifted her head and gave him a soul-searching stare. "You've been brilliant since I stopped being so stubborn and let myself love you. I've never been so happy in my life as when I'm with you. I love you and it's time I tell you that."

The corner of Finn's mouth pulled up into a lopsided grin. "I love you too." He kissed her tenderly; putting all the love he had for her into the action, and felt so relieved to know that she felt the same. "I've waited so long to say those words."

"Why did you wait?"

"I couldn't bear the thought of you not saying them back."

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. "You never have to worry about that. I love you, Finn, no matter what."

* * *

That was a lot of drama. But at least now Finn and Rachel can move on to happier, baby-filled, days.


	15. The Sex

Hello, hello! Thank you everyone for your patience. This past month has just been so crazy but I managed to write when I could and now have the fruits of my effort. I hope this satisfies your craving and I hope the next chapter won't take another month to get written. Enjoy!

* * *

"This past week and a half has been horrendous," Rachel confided to Tina as they sat at Gray's Papaya for their weekly post-meeting hotdog and smoothie. Once Tina's cravings had really kicked in, she had been after hotdogs non-stop and had extended the invitation for a trip to Gray's to Rachel as well. As with her constant cravings of bacon cheddar cheeseburgers, after the first taste of the well-done all-beef hotdog, she developed a brand new craving and looked forward to Wednesday nights.

"Why? What's been going on?"

"Finn and I have been trying to...reconnect...for the first time in months, but it seems the universe is against us. We have been interrupted every single time." She rolled her eyes and sipped on her papaya drink. "First, we tried after confessing our love to each other after the horrible meeting with Jesse…"

"_Finn, I'm ready," Rachel said quietly, breathing against his lips. She lifted her gaze to his and saw his pupils dilate. "I want to be with you...now. I love you and I'm tired of waiting. These past two weeks have been torture."_

"_Are you sure? I know you wanted it to be like super romantic and stuff."_

"_Finn, as long as I have you, that is all I need. I love you and you love me and that's all I care about." She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to kiss him, finally lowering all the walls she had built against him._

"_I love you, Rach." His hands slid over her exposed stomach around to her back, untying the knot to pull her shirt off. She pressed her lips to his and lifted her arms as Finn pushed the material over her head, tossing it to the floor before palming her through her bra._ _She slid her own hands under his shirt and lifted it breaking their kiss again, grinning as Finn unhooked the clasp at her back and tugged it away from her body._

_His gaze dropped to her fuller breasts and he subconsciously licked his lips, reveling in finally getting to be with her. She was perfect and beautiful, her swollen breasts rising and falling gently as she breathed, her round belly lightly pressing against his bare chest. Her entire being seemed to have a golden halo surrounding her and he was truly awed by her._

"_You're so beautiful."_

_Rachel blushed and looked away, bashful under his gaze. "You're just saying that..."_

_He grabbed her chin and turned her head to look at him. "Hey, look at me." He stared deep into her eyes when she obliged. "You are beautiful and sexy and amazing, and I never want you to doubt that. You hear me? Do you believe me?" Rachel seemed unsure that what he said was true, but as he searched her face, she knew he was being sincere. She smiled and nodded, biting her lower lip in the most adorable manner._

_She nuzzled her nose against his and trailed her fingers down his torso, unbuttoning his pants as she reached them. "You're the best. If this had to happen with anyone, I'm glad it happened with you." She gave him a scorching kiss before pushing him forcefully back on the bed, unzipping his pants and lifting herself to take her shorts off._

_Just as the material slid down under her behind, a knock on the door called their attention. "Rachel?" Blaine's muffled voice asked through the door. He turned the knob and opened the door a sliver. "Are you decent? Can we talk?"_

_"Don't come in! I'll be out in a minute. Please close the door," she replied, slightly hysterical as she climbed off Finn and went about getting redressed. Finn groaned as he sat up and gave Rachel an unsatisfied pout. "Just stay here. I'll just see what Blaine wants and then we can pick up where we left off." She brushed her hair out of her shirt and winked at Finn as she stepped out of the room and found Blaine in the living room…along with six other people. She stood shocked at the crowd that had descended upon their small two bedroom apartment before coming to her senses and demanding answers from her cousin. "Blaine, what the hell is this?"_

_He pulled in a sharp breath and looked around at his friends. "I know I should have asked your permission first but it was kind of last minute. These are some of the friends I made during my semester abroad in England. They're visiting for the week and they were going to stay at a sketchy hostel in Queens but I figured it would be safer and easier for them to just bunk here."_

_Rachel stared at her cousin blankly as he explained the situation. Then her lip curled up in anger. "How long exactly have you been keeping this from me?"_

"_I just told them today."_

"_Blaine! How could you invite complete strangers into our home without even asking me first?! That is so inconvenient and just plain rude!"_

"_I know, but before I even knew what I was doing I had invited them and I didn't want to be rude and take it back. They showed me a lot of kindness in England and I want to return the favor. It's just for the week."_

_Rachel huffed and placed her hands on her hips in frustration as she looked at the four men and two women scattered about her living room. "And where exactly do you plan on fitting all six of these people?"_

"_Well…I was kind of hoping you could stay at Finn's for the week so Moira and Bianca could possibly stay in your room."_

_She scoffed loudly and looked at the two girls looking out the window and pointing out American things they found strange. "You just expect me to hand over _my_ room to two girls I know nothing about? What if they're thieves or…or murderers?!"_

_Blaine rolled his eyes. "They're good people, Rachel. I wouldn't let them stay here if they weren't." They had a silent stare down, Blaine pleading with his eyes while Rachel seethed at his thoughtlessness in discussing this plan with her first. "I swear I will do whatever you want to make it up to you. Just name it and I will do it."_

_She narrowed her eyes at him and stepped closer, shoving her finger in his face. "I'm not sure what I want from you yet, but when I do figure it out, you better do it, bub. I will not be kicked out of my own house without some kind of compensation."_

"_So you'll stay at Finn's?" Hope was rising in his voice and eyes._

"_I will ask Finn if he will have me for the week and if he says yes, I will allow your friends to use my room…but only after I have removed all my valuables. You may trust these people, but that doesn't mean I have to."_

_She shot him one last hard glance before turning around and waltzing into her bedroom._

"So you just gave up your room?" Tina asked, surprised she would do such a thing.

Rachel nodded her head and sighed. "Honestly, I didn't mind the idea of staying at Finn's place. Since he lives alone, we wouldn't have to worry about annoying roommates and his plethora of friends interrupting our fun. Of course Finn was excited to have me all to himself for the week Blaine's British buddies were in town because it meant we could finally get some quality time in bed together."

Tina seemed confused however. "Then how is it you still haven't been able to…connect?"

"That is yet another headache…"

_After packing everything she would need for a week away from home, as well as anything of value she owned that she didn't want disappearing, Rachel and Finn eagerly made their way to his apartment to finish what they had started. They had just made it through the door and began shedding clothing and making out on their way to the bed, when they opened the door to his room and found a disaster behind it._

_Laying on Finn's bed and floor was what appeared to be bits of the ceiling above, which was missing, exposing the mildew crusted pipes which were leaking horribly. The room smelled disgusting and Rachel's stomach rolled with nausea as it hit her hard and she had to run for the bathroom, upchucking everything in her stomach. Finn could only stare in abhorrence at the disaster that was his bedroom. Once he was able to function again, he immediately called his super and went to work on figuring out what had happened._

_A few hours later, it was discovered that when renovations had been made to the building, the pipes hadn't been updated and had rusted away in sections. They leaked all over and a serious mold problem had been the result which had put too much weight on the water weakened drywall. As all the pipes would need to be replaced, it was unknown how long it would take to fix and put Finn out of his apartment until it was._

"_Great. So now we're both homeless for the week. What are we supposed to do? Get a hotel room? I can't afford that." Rachel sat on the couch, running her hands over her belly nervously as she thought about how poorly her day had been going thus far. First Jesse St. Jackass and Crazy July, then the British invasion at her abode, and now mold._

"_It's not exactly convenient, but we could always stay with my parents. They have plenty of room and I know they wouldn't mind putting us up for the week. Then if you don't mind, I could stay with you and Blaine while they work on my apartment once his friends are gone."_

"_Of course I don't mind you staying with me." She leaned into Finn's side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and looked up into his soft eyes. "I think that's a great plan. I'll finally get to see what it is like living on the Upper East Side. It'll be like a little vacation from my usual mundane dwellings. And then we can sexile Blaine to get back at him."_

Tina nodded along as she listened to the retelling. "His roof just collapsed? Weren't there any signs that there was something wrong with it?"

"There were cracks in his ceiling but it just looked like the paint. There wasn't any noticeable water damage though. Not to mention, all his furniture needs to be replaced in addition to the pipes and ceiling."

"And now you're staying with his parents? How has that been going so far?"

Rachel sighed and rubbed her temples.

"_Finny!" Carole greeted as they stepped off the elevator into their makeshift home. She pulled her son into a hug and kissed his cheek before doing the same to Rachel and once again touching her belly. "I know the circumstances are awful but I must say I am glad you two are here. We really don't see enough of either of you and now we get you for the entire week!" She ushered them into the living room where Burt was lying on the couch watching the news._

"_Hey Burt," Finn waved before wrapping his arm around Rachel's waist. Burt just nodded in greeting, his eyes barely flickering away from the television. "Well, I think Rachel and I are gonna go get settled in. It's been a long day and we just want to relax."_

"_Sure thing, sweetie. Oh, but Rachel, since I have you here this week, I thought we could start discussing your baby shower! I know we don't know the sex yet, but it's never too early to start planning."_

_Rachel smiled widely and shook her head. "That sounds great, Carole."_

"_Yeah, but we have like, all week to do that. Right now Rachel and I are kinda tired."_

_By the time they finally made it upstairs, Rachel in fact was tired._

"_Just a short nap, I promise. It's just been a very trying day. But after I get some rest, I will make your toes curl," she promised, kissing Finn deeply before turning onto her other side to be the little spoon._

_Unfortunately for Finn, a short nap turned into all night._

_Days passed from there filled to the brim with work or activities his mother came up with to spend time getting to really know Rachel. She took her out to lunch and shopping and to musicals and concerts. Rachel enjoyed herself immensely but every night she came home exhausted and fell asleep before her head hit the pillow. Until finally Carole had a girls' night out and left Rachel at home with only Finn and Burt._

_They were in bed, kissing hotly, hands roaming their dewy bodies, building the eroticism until neither could stand it anymore. Finn's hand had just found its way between Rachel's thighs, his fingers dividing her swollen folds to run over her clit, when she released a loud throaty moan. He tried to quiet her, but it was too late._

_Three pounds from the room next door sounded followed by a voice that could be heard coming through the vent. "I know it's been a while since you've lived here, Finn, so let me refresh your memory…I'm a light sleeper and due to the ventilation system being the way it is, I can hear everything that goes on in your room. I have meetings early tomorrow so I really don't want to be up all night hearing _that_. Save it for your own apartment."_

_Rachel fell silent, mortification slipping into every fiber of her being at being caught by Burt. She smacked her forehead and rolled away from Finn, searching for her discarded pajamas. "That is so humiliating."_

"_Rachel, it's really not that big of a deal. We can just…we can just be," he lowered his voice to a soft whisper, "extra quiet." He pressed his lips to her bare shoulder as she slid back into bed, but she didn't seem swayed by his suggestion._

"_I don't want to have to be extra quiet, Finn. I want to be able to enjoy sex with you to its fullest extent. I want to be able to scream out your name when you touch me and make noise when I'm happy. I don't want to have to hide it." She turned onto her side and gave him a soft kiss, caressing his face as she did. "We just have to wait a little bit longer."_

"_But I'm tired of waiting," he pouted._

"_Please wait," Burt said through the wall._

_Finn climbed out of bed and slammed the vent closed so Burt couldn't hear their conversation anymore. "There. It's closed now."_

"_Finn, let's just wait. It's so awkward knowing Burt is next door and can hear us. Plus, with the vent closed it's going to get too hot in here. It's only until Blaine's friends leave."_

"_But that's not until next week now since they extended their trip. I think you're being too nice letting them take over your space for two weeks." He slid back under the covers and wrapped his arms around Rachel as they spooned to go to sleep._

"_I can't complain too much. I get to stay in a fabulous Upper East Side condo with a maid and chef with my boyfriend. It's a lot better than having to deal with Blaine's company squeezing themselves into our tiny two bedroom for two weeks."_

_Finn shrugged. "Yeah, but we have to deal with my parents here. I wish they'd hurry up with fixing my apartment. They said it could take up to a month to replace everything and clean the mold and fix my ceiling."_

_Rachel snuggled closer to Finn and thought about broaching the subject of possibly moving in together but shook that notion away. It was neither the time nor the place for such a loaded discussion and now that she had cooled down from their heavy petting session, she was rather beat. "I suppose we'll just have to make do with your teenage bedroom until then." She entwined her fingers with his and pressed a soft kiss to the back of his hand. "Goodnight, Finn. I love you."_

"_I love you too, Rach."_

"I can see why you're frustrated. If I had that many false starts, I'd probably go insane."

"That is why this past week and a half has been horrendous and I still have to suffer through until Saturday when Blaine's friends finally leave." She leaned her head on her hand, pushing her cheek up as she pouted. "I'm not sure if I'll last that long. Plus, I'm a little nervous about my doctor's appointment on Saturday. We're finally going to find out the sex, if she cooperates," she rubbed her stomach affectionately.

"That's great, Rachel! It should make planning easier."

Rachel nodded in agreement. "When will you find out?"

"Oh, Mike and I are waiting. We want it to be a surprise."

"Why would you wait? It's so much easier to know what you're getting into before you get into it."

Tina shrugged and looked down at the swell of her belly. "I've just always liked the idea of being surprised. I've always been a fan of surprises and what's a better one than finding out what nine months of hard work blessed you with? I'm not saying it isn't just as exciting knowing beforehand, but I think it will be amazing to look at him or her for the first time through my own eyes and not through a black and white computer screen."

"Wait…have you not looked at any of your sonograms yet?"

"I've looked at them. But right now, he or she is just a baby. Once the baby is born, that's when I really feel I'll have a son or daughter, and I want to wait to find out which one I'm having. I don't want to know until I get to hear the baby's cries for the first time, see the baby's little body for the first time, hold my child for the first time. It may sound crazy, but I've always just imagined it that way."

Rachel contemplated her friend's thought process as she took a sip of her drink. "No, Tina, that's not crazy. Everyone feels differently about the whole childbearing process. It's what's important to you that matters most. You actually make some valid points. And Mike's okay with not knowing?"

"He's fine with it. He says I'm doing the hard part so I should get a weightier vote."

"Finn's pretty excited to find out. I don't think he'd be happy with waiting."

Tina shrugged and stood. "I should get going. Mike's flight is going to be in soon. His workshop is finally over and he was able to get a few days off before starting his next one."

"I didn't know Mike was coming in this week. Will I finally get to meet 'The Situasian'?"

The women giggled at the nickname Tina had come up with for Mike and she blushed profusely. "God, do I miss those abs. You could bake cookies on them. But to answer your question…if you would like we could schedule lunch or something? I know you've been dying for a double date."

"I really have. I keep requesting one of Kurt and Blaine but they always seem too busy. So far we've only doubled with Finn's parents at the dinner table and that doesn't really count. Did you want to go Saturday? Finn and I will be out of the house for my appointment anyway so we could meet you two somewhere."

"Saturday sounds great! Maybe we could go baby shopping too! Mike and I were going to start looking since we'd have some time together."

"It's a double date then!" Rachel hugged Tina goodbye with a promise to text details for lunch the next day.

She sat alone finishing her hotdog and drink as she waited for Finn to arrive to grab a dog himself and take her home. He was worse than her fathers when it came to worrying about her well-being in the city after dark and insisted upon escorting her everywhere if she were to be alone otherwise. She didn't exactly mind the company, but sometimes she felt as if she were a little girl needing to hold her Papa's hand to cross the street again. Rachel was a grown woman after all, trained in self-defense, owner of a rape whistle and pepper-spray, and endowed with pipes that could wake the dead when occasion called for it.

But at the same time, it was sweet and thrilling that she had a man that cared about her and their child enough to rework his schedule all the time just to make sure she arrived at her destination safe and sound. Finn was the most amazing boyfriend and she knew he would be the most amazing father when their baby arrived.

Shortly after Tina left, Finn arrived seeming extra jovial as he sat next to Rachel and tugged her into his arms, laying a hot kiss on her lips, literally taking her breath away. She panted when he pulled away and her eyes were wide as she stared at her giddy boyfriend. "Whoa, I know we've been trying to get some time alone but this is hardly the place…though I do enjoy your enthusiasm and appreciate it."

"I'm just happy because I have awesome news!" He threw his hands out in a grand gesture before running them up and down her arms. Rachel sat in rapt attention waiting for him to elaborate. "My mother just informed me that on Saturday she and Burt are leaving on a two week long vacation to Boca and Stella is going to Germany while they're gone. We will have their condo to ourselves for two weeks."

Rachel stared blankly at him, not daring herself to believe. "If you're messing with me, I will punch you."

"I don't mess around when it comes to two weeks of uninterrupted sex."

"What time on Saturday?"

"Early. I figured we could spend all day in bed…or the shower, or kitchen, or living room."

Rachel blushed as Finn eyed her and licked his lips. "That sounds wonderful, but I have my doctor's appointment and we're meeting Tina and Mike for lunch and to go shopping afterward."

Finn grumbled, "Do we have to?"

"Finn, I have to go to my appointment and I already made the plans with Tina. I don't want to back out."

"Why not? Just say you aren't feeling well. Besides, you never even asked if I wanted to go. You just assumed I would."

"You will if you want to share a bed on Saturday night. Finn, you know I've been dying to go on a double date ever since we started dating. We've made it this far, I'm sure you can handle an extra day." She took his hands in hers, pleading with him. "I promise I will make it worth your while…" she flirted.

Finn pursed his lips and took a deep breath. "Fine. But Saturday night and Sunday you're all mine. In fact…we can take vacation the next two weeks to make up for lost time."

Rachel was weary. "Finn, as lovely as that would be I cannot take two weeks off. I have bills to pay, not to mention the schedule is already made. I know you hired Kitty to ease the burden on me, but that's hardly fair to dump my hours on her and everyone else."

"Rachel," he leaned closer, running his hands over her thighs, "I'm the boss. You have to listen to me. I say take two weeks off."

"Finn," she replied sternly, "I'm not abusing our working relationship so you can get laid. I don't want to play favorites. Everyone already thinks I receive special treatment-"

"Because you do. You're pregnant and my girlfriend and anyone who expects me to treat you like a common employee is insane."

She stared him down. "I'm still not giving away all my shifts." She stood up abruptly, startling Finn and ending the conversation.

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom. Get your hotdogs to go so we can go back to your parents'. I'm tired."

Finn groaned as Rachel walked away. There had to be some way to convince Rachel an impromptu vacation would do her some good. Perhaps Saturday he could show her how nice two solid weeks alone with him would be.

The next few days passed slowly with the anticipation of Saturday night hanging over them. On Friday night, Finn and Rachel sat at family dinner with the Hummels when the topic turned to Rachel's appointment the next day.

"As soon as you find out the sex, text me. I don't want to be out of the loop and then we can start planning the shower and the nursery and names…" Kurt went on, scooping some potatoes onto his fork. "I hope it's a girl. I'm sure any boy of Finn's would have zero interest in the things I enjoy."

"Actually, I think I want to wait until the baby is born."

Everyone stopped eating and stared at Rachel like she had five heads. Finn placed his hand over hers and spoke softly. "Uh, babe, we planned to find out so we could plan. There's a lot to do yet and knowing the sex will make it a lot easier."

"No, I know that. But think of how thrilling it would be to wait until the moment he or she is born. Wouldn't it be great to see our son or daughter for the first time with our own eyes as opposed to the sonogram?" Rachel said, Tina's idea really resonating with her.

"Rachel, we've been talking about finding out the sex since day one. I want to know."

"Well, I don't. As I am carrying our child I think I should get the bigger say."

"But I'm the father. Don't I get _any_ say?"

"Why can't you just support my decision? I think it will be exciting to wait. It will be an adorable little surprise."

"The fact we're having a baby at all is a big enough surprise."

"Mike is supporting Tina's decision to wait."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Good for Mike, but I want to know."

Rachel threw her napkin down on the table and pushed away. "Fine. If you won't support me, don't bother coming with me tomorrow. I only want people who accept my decisions on my side." She stormed out of the dining room to go upstairs, leaving Finn and everyone else in the room, sitting quietly.

"Am I out of line here?" Finn asked aloud, requesting an answer out of anyone. "Is it so wrong to want to know if we're having a son or a daughter?"

"Absolutely not, Finn. It is smart to know before the baby arrives, but I can also see where Rachel is coming from," Kurt replied.

"We waited with Kurt, mostly because he didn't want to show off his parts, but it was kind of exciting not knowing. Kept the drama up. We actually had a bet going in the family for birthday and sex. I was one day off from winning both."

"I don't know, Burt. I found out Finn was a boy early on and it made everything so much easier to handle. I had a nursery completely ready for him, we had his name all set, everyone gave us boy stuff so we didn't have to return anything and knew what to buy for ourselves. It really took away some of the headache."

"My point exactly!" Finn agreed with gusto. "Rachel is a control freak and I know this isn't her brain talking. She's getting all emotional about this."

Burt nodded, moving some carrots around on his plate. "Pregnancy is an emotional time. It's not just about thinking analytically. Parenting is also about feeling and gut instinct."

"It's still emotional when you know. Trust me, when Rachel finally pushes that kid out, she's going to be very emotional," Carole added, knowing from personal experience.

"You want my opinion?" Kurt leaned forward as if he had a secret to share. "Find out on your own then keep it to yourself. That way you know and Rachel can still have her surprise."

"Kurt! That's a great idea!"

"No it isn't!" his mother protested. "You want to lie to her for the next twenty weeks?"

"It's not that big of a deal. We'll find out eventually."

"It's a big deal to her. I may not agree with her decision but she is doing the brunt of the work. You should support her. This is a tough time for her and she needs you. If it isn't that big of a deal, just wait with her. Like you said, you'll find out eventually."

Finn sighed and rested his head in his hand. "You're right. I guess it won't be that bad to wait." He stood from the table and excused himself to speak with Rachel. He found her lying in bed singing softly as she cradled her bump with her eyes closed.

_But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that keep it turned on_

Feeling inspired to jump in with a kickass harmony, Finn stepped into the room and softly joined her on the next verse.

_Well excuse me forgetting but these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway, the thing is what I really mean_

Rachel dropped out and let Finn take it solo.

_Yours are the sweetest eyes_ _I've ever seen_

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind_

_That I put down in words_

Finn slowed and stared at Rachel intensely as he sang, Rachel's angelic voice entwining with his in harmony.

_How wonderful life is_

_Now you're in the world_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind_

_That I put down in words_

They both paused, taking a breath as they gazed into each other's eyes.

_How wonderful life is_

_Now…you're…in the…world_

"You sounded…"

"You too."

"No…I'm nothing compared to you. You're a true star. You're going to wow the world someday and everyone is going to love your voice just as much as I do. They're going to love _you_." He moved closer on the bed and took Rachel's face in his hands. "I love you and I do support you. If you want to wait to find out the sex, we'll wait. We can still plan. We just need to focus on things that work for boys and girls."

Rachel closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, placing hers over his. "You mean it? You're really okay with waiting?"

"I'm fine with it if it's what you really want."

She nodded. "I do."

"Then we'll wait."

"Thank you, Finn." She puckered her lips and kissed him in appreciation. Finn deepened it, laying Rachel down and hovering over her as best he could with her protruding stomach. She tugged on his hair, lifting her leg to wrap around his waist, holding him close. His hand slid under her shirt as she writhed under his touch. Her hormones were taking over and she was ready for it to happen.

"Touch me, Finn," she whined, pushing his hand between her thighs.

"Rachel, Finn? Have you two worked everything out?" Carole asked as she knocked on the door.

Rachel ripped away from Finn, adjusting her attire and standing from the bed. She brushed out her hair and tried to seem natural as she answered the door. "Hi Carole. Yes, we worked everything out. We're going to wait."

"Okay. As long as you're on the same page, that's all that matters." She smiled at her. "If you'd like, we have apple pie for dessert."

"Really? I'll be right down." At the prospect of pie, Rachel's appetite overruled her libido.

Carole walked away and Rachel turned back to Finn who appeared miffed. "I cannot wait until they leave."

"Patience, Daddy." She giggled at him and placed her hands on her tummy. "Let's go get some pie."

The next morning, Rachel buzzed about preparing herself for her appointment while she allowed Finn to sleep in. She sat on the edge of the bed, running her hands over her smooth legs to rub the lotion into them.

"Getting sexy for tonight?" Finn's drowsy voice asked behind her.

She looked back over her shoulder and Finn sat up to wrap his arms around her torso and place his chin on her shoulder. "I needed to shave for my appointment. I had stubble." She leaned back against him, smiling to herself as she felt his lips press against the top of her head. "It's getting harder. Soon you may need to help me with it."

"If I get to see you naked and run my hands over those stems, I have no problem with that." His lips dropped to her neck and he lightly suckled on her skin, making her giggle. "Are my parents gone?"

"They left about two hours ago with Stella on their heels. She's ecstatic to go back to Germany to visit her family. At first I thought she was angry with all the yelling but then I just realized that's German."

Finn chuckled and pressed another kiss to her neck, running his hands along her sides. "We still have some time before we have to leave and we have the place to ourselves now. We could take advantage of that." He brushed her hair away from the back of her neck, his kisses following the trail his fingers made. Her breathing became harsher while he laved his tongue over her skin, her eyes falling closed and her mind going foggy with want.

"How much time?" she whined. Turning back to look at her boyfriend's face, amber eyes dark with desire, his freckled cheeks covered in a light stubble as usual, his pink lips parted slightly as his wet tongue swiped along between them.

"Enough for me to make you feel good." He pulled away from her and pressed her back onto the bed as he moved atop her, caging her with his body. He meshed his lips to hers in a scorching kiss, slipping a hand into the opening of her terrycloth robe, pulling the two halves apart and exposing her ample breasts. Finn's eyes widened and his pupils dilated, drinking her in by sight. "So beautiful."

Rachel blushed and smiled under his praise, feeling very sexy in that moment. "You are too."

Finn dipped his head low to hover over her chest, poking his tongue out to tease her stiff nipple, earning a wanton moan and a thrust against his body. He opened his mouth and wrapped his lips around the taught peak, tonguing the bud as he massaged her other breast with his hand.

They were just getting into it when a phone began to ring, cutting through their sexual tension like a machete. Finn lifted his head and pleaded with Rachel. "Babe, let it go."

"I can't. It's probably Tina asking about lunch. Besides, we really don't have that much time. You need to shower and I still need to get dressed."

"Rachel," he whined as she pushed him off her and tugged her robe closed again. Rachel answered her phone and exited the room and Finn fell back on the bed staring down at the tent in his shorts. "A few more hours, buddy." He rubbed his face before staring at the ceiling. He heard Rachel walk back into the room, chatting gaily with Tina, laughing happily.

"Hold on, Tina." Rachel pulled the phone away and grabbed a pillow to whack Finn. "Come on. We don't have much time! And make sure to shave."

"Why do I have to shave?" he griped like a child. It was such a chore which was why he only did it about once every two weeks or for special occasions.

Rachel lowered her voice and covered the phone, "I'm very sensitive down there, and I don't want you to scratch me." Her cheeks reddened instantly and she turned to rush back out of the room.

Finn's lips stretched into a wide sly grin and he rolled out of bed to get into the bathroom.

As they sat in the waiting room of Dr. Pearl's office, Finn made a last ditch attempt to change Rachel's mind. "Are you sure you don't want to find out the sex? It would make baby shopping after lunch more productive," he enticed.

"I'm sure. I want to be surprised for once in my life."

"I would say it's at least the second surprise we've had."

"It's rather poetic, I think. A surprise birth for a surprise pregnancy."

"Rachel?" Rhonda called from the doorway, smiling brightly at her as she waved them back.

She took Finn's hand and they followed her back to the exam room. "Okay, you know the drill." Rachel pulled her shoes off and handed her bag over to Finn to get weighed. Rachel smiled as she stared at the number she had been the appointment before until it went up about ten more pounds. Her face slackened and she looked appalled.

"I think your scale is broken. There is no way I gained that much weight in two weeks," she protested, stepping off the scale before stepping back on to reweigh herself only getting the same result. Getting distressed, her eyes filled with tears.

Sensing a meltdown coming, Finn stood and rubbed his emotional girlfriend's back soothingly. "Babe, it's okay. You're beautiful and sexy and I love you."

"But I'm so fat and I'm getting stretch marks!" she cried. "I'm disgusting."

Rhonda intervened, "Actually, most of your weight is just from your body accommodating the baby. It isn't fat. Compared with other women I've seen at this stage, you're still rather tiny."

"Yeah, and your boobs. They've gotten huge," Finn added, throwing his hands out to suggest their larger size. "Even Puck has noticed."

Rachel's tears quickly dried and her eyes turned fiery. "Have you been discussing my breasts with Puckerman?" She stared at him harshly, placing her hands on her hips.

Finn's eyes widened in fear. "He just mentioned it when you wore that really low cut shirt to work the other day. Every time you leaned over guys kept looking down your shirt and Puck said it looked like you were about to bust out of it. I agreed it was awesome they got so big then told him to stop staring at your chest."

Rachel was not amused. "Can we please just move on?" she asked Rhonda, turning away from Finn.

After all her usual tests were completed, the couple sat in the exam room alone waiting for the ultrasound tech to arrive. "Are you still mad about me discussing your boobs with Puck?" She hadn't said anything to him since.

"Did it really bother you that much that my breasts were small before I got pregnant?" she asked meekly, staring down at her chest. His comments made her self-conscious.

"What?! Of course not. Boobs are boobs. They're all hot, except for on men. But I love your boobs because they're yours." He took her hands in his, rolling his chair to sit in front of her. "I'm not lying when I say you're sexy. Whether pregnant or not, I feel that way. You wouldn't have gotten pregnant if I didn't feel that way." He moved closer and spoke lower. "And when we get home, I am going to show you over and over _just_ how sexy I think you are."

Rachel tried to suppress an embarrassed grin but failed horribly. She leaned forward for a kiss and they both smiled into it.

Josephine the tech came in then and greeted the couple still in the middle of their embrace. "Hello Mommy, Daddy! How are we today?"

The couple broke apart and Rachel pulled her lips together to savor the taste of Finn's kiss. "Very good."

"Very good to hear." She looked down at Rachel's chart. "So, almost 21 weeks now. That means you're halfway there! And if baby cooperates we can find out the sex if you'd like."

Rachel and Finn shared a glance before answering. "We're actually going to wait. We want it to be a surprise."

Josephine's eyes flickered between them and noticed Finn seemed apprehensive at the prospect. "Are you both positive? Dad, you look unsure."

"Whatever Rachel wants. She's doing all the hard work." He gave her a tense smile and Josephine continued on.

Rachel got comfortable on the bench and a few moments later their baby was on the screen. Josephine didn't say anything as she clicked here and there to enlarge the image and take measurements.

"She's gotten so much bigger," Rachel commented as they could see the baby twitch.

"I guess my giant genes got passed on. Sorry, babe."

"Let's just hope she's growing fast now and will slow down around a normal size."

"You're sure you don't want to know the sex?" Josephine asked once more.

Rachel looked at Finn and squeezed his hand. "Positive."

Later as they sat in Dr. Pearl's office to discuss Rachel's latest test results, Rhonda came in bearing a DVD and pictures. She handed the DVD to Rachel and the pictures to Finn, winking as she did so. He was confused but shrugged it off. If she was hinting that she was interested, she was sorely out of luck.

Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her seat, rubbing her belly. "Dr. Pearl is taking forever. I really need to pee."

"Go pee. She'll wait, I'm sure."

She fought with herself until the need won out. "I'll be right back." She waddled out of the room and Finn took the opportunity to look at the ultrasound pictures. Perhaps he could figure out himself what they were having. When he opened the envelope however, his deciphering skills would not need to be tested. There was a little yellow post-it note inside that contained a lone word: the sex of their baby.

Finn smiled to himself as he stared at the word, pride and joy overwhelming him and filling his heart with love. A tear even came to his eye. He folded the small paper and pocketed it, wanting to save it for the baby book and sat in the room silently, imagining what his and Rachel's life would be like once their child arrived.

An hour later, Finn found himself sitting in a dimly lit Mexican restaurant the girls had decided on for lunch, perusing the menu for something tasty. Though Finn wanted pizza, apparently Tina and Rachel's cravings had synced and both wanted burritos. Finn knew better now than to argue with a craving and he figured Mike had learned that lesson as well.

"I'm starting to get worried. They should have been here by now and Tina hasn't responded to any of my texts."

"They're probably on the subway. I'm sure they're fine." He leaned closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and whispering in her ear, "They haven't seen each other in weeks. I bet they were just enjoying each other's company."

Rachel eyed him critically before sighing in acceptance. "I suppose. I just get worried when I don't get replies back quickly. It's a trait I learned from my Papa."

"Our kid isn't going to stand a chance of independence." He chuckled and earned a glare.

"I just want our baby to be safe and knowing where they are is how that happens. Is it a crime to care about my child?"

"No, but when they're fifteen and you're still holding their hand to cross the street, I think it would be time to cut the cord."

Rachel rolled her eyes and sipped on her water. "I would not do that. I won't be a 'smother'." Her eyes flitted over toward the door as she saw it open and stood from the table. "Tina! Over here!" She caught her eye and Tina pointed them out to the tall, attractive man behind her. They moved through the tables to greet Rachel and Finn who were gracious in their hello.

"Hi! I'm so sorry we're late. First I had to stop to use the bathroom and then Mike's MetroCard wouldn't swipe so we missed the train and had to wait for the next one."

"It's okay. I was a little worried something had happened but you're here now so…"

Tina allowed Mike to pull a chair out for her and they all sat back down. "Rachel, Finn, this is my boyfriend, Mike Chang. Mike, my friend Rachel I've told you about and her boyfriend, Finn."

"It's nice to meet you. Tina said you've been a big help through all of this. I really appreciate that."

"Of course. She's been a great help as well. We all could use all the support we can get right now."

"Yeah, it's nice that there's another dude who's going through the same thing. How have you been handling becoming an accidental dad?" Finn asked. Unlike Rachel, Finn didn't have a group of men to discuss his thoughts and fears about being a parent with. Though he had Puck as a confidant, Rachel felt it could only be beneficial for Finn to have a friend going through the same thing he was now.

"Uh, well, I'm pretty nervous, but I'm happy. I love Tina and now I get another part of her to love too." He smiled down at Tina with nothing but love in his eyes.

Rachel grinned up at Finn, leaning closer to him and laying her head on his shoulder. "That's really sweet, Mike."

"I just wish I could be here for her more. I'm so close to graduating though and Tina and my parents won't let me quit now."

"No duh you can't quit now. You're so close."

"But I could start my career now and be closer to you and the baby. Josselyn has already said-"

"It isn't a guarantee though, Mike. You'll have a better chance of getting a permanent spot somewhere if you finish your education."

"But the baby-"

"Isn't due until next year. We'll only be apart for four months."

"Those are the four months you'll need me most."

"Mike, I'm not arguing this with you again. There is no reason either of us should have to give up what we've worked for."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Mike…" Tina said sternly, leveling him with a glare, "we're having lunch with friends. This is not the time."

Mike put his hands out in surrender. "You're right. Sorry." He shared a glance with Finn who seemed to understand completely. Finn had to admit it was nice to see he wasn't the only one that had to deal with a grouchy pregnant girlfriend.

When their rousing lunch ended the two couples were looking around the baby boutique that Rachel had discovered a few weeks earlier.

"What do you think?" Rachel said as she held up a little onesie that said 'Cutie' and had a pie with a smiley face underneath it.

Finn scratched his head as if in contemplation. "It looks a little small for you…" Rachel shoved his shoulder and he guffawed before pulling her into his arms. "It's cute."

"I'm going to buy it. It works for a boy or a girl and they may not have it when people start shopping for the shower."

"Rach, you can't buy everything you've seen in here right now. You put like three things on the registry and about three times that in the basket."

"These are things they may not have later. Plus, they're clearance because they're summery."

Finn picked up a bumblebee costume out of the basket. "This is a Halloween costume. It's not on clearance and by the time the baby is here for Halloween, this won't fit."

"But it's just so adorable!"

"But you don't need it."

Rachel pouted and ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders. "It would just be so cute to see our baby as a little bumblebee."

He put the costume to the side, and dropped his hands to her hips. "Then you can get the bumblebee costume this time next year."

"Fine. I'll wait. But I am not compromising on the cutie pie onesie." She pressed a kiss to the tip of Finn's nose and continued down the aisle, scanning the tag on a diaper genie.

Finn let her wander around and went to go look for somewhere to sit down. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy shopping with Rachel, he'd just rather not. He found Mike sitting outside the bathroom looking nervous. "Hey man, you okay?" Finn sat next to him.

"Tina's been in the bathroom for about twenty minutes now. The Mexican didn't agree with her. I hope she's okay."

"Morning sickness. It sucks, but I'm sure she's okay."

"Does Rachel still have it?"

"Not really. She's gone onto the next phase."

"What's the next phase?"

"Horndog." They both chuckled but both had a hint of frustration behind it.

"I hope that happens with Tina. She hasn't wanted to do anything but cuddle the past few days." Mike lowered his voice and glanced around to be sure no one was listening to them. "Does it ever…scare you? Y'know, sex while she's pregnant?"

Finn shrugged and leaned on his thighs. "To be honest, a little. Rachel and I haven't exactly…it's been…we haven't had sex since she…expanded." Mike was shocked. "The past few months have been all over the place between us and we just haven't been able to…connect."

"That sucks, man." They nodded in unison.

"I know we'll be fine though. Her doctor said she's healthy enough and assured us that it's perfectly safe as long as I don't crush her bump."

"It doesn't freak you out to think that there's a third person there sitting between you and your girlfriend as you make love? A little kid that moves; that you could feel and see squirming around inside of her like an alien about to rip its way out of her?"

Finn slowly turned his head to stare at Mike with pursed lips. "It didn't until you mentioned it." He rubbed his face. "Dude, you're just thinking too much about it. The kid has no idea what's going on and I've been guaranteed that there's no way I could poke the baby in the eye even if I am above average in size." Finn froze as he realized he just told a dude he didn't know about his penis.

"I'm never eating Mexican food again," Tina moaned as she exited the bathroom finally. "I'm in my second trimester. This should be going away, not getting worse." She sat in Mike's lap and let him hold her, stroking her long hair and kissing her forehead for comfort.

"Oh good, you're already here." Rachel shoved the basket full of items into Finn's hands as she entered the small sitting room just outside the bathrooms. Noticing her distress, Rachel immediately pushed Finn over and sat next to Mike and Tina. "Are you okay?"

"Morning sickness."

"Well, just let me go to the bathroom and then we can leave so you can go home and rest."

Rachel moved as quickly as she could and soon Finn was paying for her purchases despite her protests that she could pay herself. "You have bills to pay, remember? That's why you won't take vacation. This one is on me."

"I don't need you to buy everything for me and the baby. That's why I have a job."

"I know, but I don't mind. I like how rosy your cheeks get when I do something chivalrous." He grinned and leaned down to kiss her cheek, grabbing the bags and leading the way out of the store.

Tina and Mike were already outside, Tina standing at a vendor buying herself an ice cream sandwich.

"I thought you weren't feeling well?" Rachel inquired, pulling out a few dollars to buy herself a crunch bar.

"Second wind. I'm starving again. I really want a hotdog."

"Let me guess, Gray's Papaya?"

Tina grinned brightly before turning to Mike. "I will be the happiest girl in the world if you go and get me a hotdog."

"Why don't we all just go?"

"I want to go back in the boutique. I hardly got a chance to look around and I don't feel like trekking all over Manhattan."

"So I have to?"

"Finn can go with you," Rachel offered for him. "That way you won't get lost since you aren't familiar with the city…and he can get me one too." She smiled pleasantly at her boyfriend who didn't look overly joyous at having to go get a hotdog.

He lowered his head in defeat. "Come on, let's go. We're not going to win this." He kissed Rachel goodbye and handed over the bags before heading for the subway, Mike trailing behind.

Rachel walked back toward the door but Tina didn't move as she watched the boys until they were underground. "Tina, what are you doing?"

"Waiting for Mike to be out of sight."

"Why?"

"Because we aren't baby shopping anymore." Tina had a mischievous smirk on her face before she started off in the opposite direction.

"Wait, Tina!" Rachel dropped the door and ran after her. "Where are we going?"

"Only a block away. Trust me, it'll be worth it."


	16. The Lovers

How many people did I get with the title of the last chapter? haha I love homonyms and double entendres.

* * *

"Rachel, you swore if we went to lunch with Tina and Mike we'd spend all night together." Whiny hysteria rose in his voice as Finn pleaded his case to his suddenly exhausted girlfriend.

"I'm tired, Finn. I'm just going to take a short nap."

Finn scoffed and rolled his eyes dramatically for effect. "Every time you say that, you spend all night a log in bed, snoring so loud I can hear you over my video games."

Rachel smacked him in outrage and huffed, "I do not snore. I wheeze."

"Well, you _wheeze_ really loud. I want to spend the night with you, not fight for the covers after I spend hours playing Fallout waiting for you to wake up only to realize it isn't going to happen," he mumbled, slipping his hands in his pockets.

Rachel felt bad that he was so eager and she was toying with him, but she knew lowering his expectations for the night would make her little treat all the more enticing. She wanted their first time making love to be a moment neither would ever forget. They both deserved it after the way the last two times had ended and for the months of endless waiting.

She ran her hands down his arms, feeling the electricity flow between them as their flesh touched. "I want tonight to be the most amazing night of our lives, Finn. I don't want to be half asleep through it. I just need a half an hour and I promise the rest of the night is yours."

Finn was skeptical as he stared down at her with a raised brow. "I'm waking you up in half an hour."

"Noted." The elevator dinged with their arrival to the empty condo. It was eerily quiet without Stella bustling about, singing robustly in German, or the TV on to some news station or a sports game, Burt yelling at the program and Carole yelling at him to quiet down. Rachel didn't realize just how accustomed she had grown to a lively household over the past two weeks. Growing up, her fathers weren't home often and Rachel was left to her own devices and living with Blaine felt sometimes like living alone. He spent most hours she was home at school or elsewhere and when she was at work, he was at home. It made her realize just how much she wanted to live with Finn and start their family.

She turned to him and pushed up on her toes for a kiss. "Go play your games. I'll take my nap, and then we can be as loud as we want." She winked at him and sauntered down the hallway with all of her bags.

When she entered Finn's room, she quickly shed her clothes and assessed herself in the mirror. She needed to touch up her make-up but her hair had held up well. She moved back to her bags and found the small black one hidden away amongst the baby bags, blushing as she pulled the various colors of satin and lace out of it. She bit her lip and looked back at the door before laying out the options before her. As she stared at her purchases, she thought back on how she had discovered them.

_"Tina, where are we going?" She caught up with her friend and was confounded by her sudden dismissal of baby shopping._

_ "Somewhere very special."_

_ They turned the corner and came across one of the maternity stores that Kurt had brought them to. "What are we doing here? Neither of us can afford anything here."_

_ "Neither of us could afford the non-sale items Kurt was making us try on. But I came back here myself a few days ago to look through the sale things and found something I think will come in very handy for tonight."_

_ Tina pulled her into the store and skipped through the clothing all the way to the back to the section on the opposite side of the dressing rooms. They hadn't gone through that section before since Kurt wouldn't allow them to peruse on their own. The girls turned the corner and Rachel was a little stunned to find herself surrounded by satin and lace._

_ "Lingerie?"_

_ "Lingerie," Tina said proudly._

_ "I don't understand…"_

_ "Rachel, we're pregnant and I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't feel very sexy when I'm huddled over the toilet puking or sitting in my sweats on my bed. But then I came here and bought a few bras and they made me feel like a woman again. I thought it might make your night with Finn better. Plus, Mike is leaving tomorrow and I haven't felt well enough to spend time with him like we both want to, so I figured I'd go all out before he goes."_

_ Rachel glanced around at the bra and panty sets, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is that why you sent the boys to get hotdogs?"_

_ "No. I really want a hotdog. But this just popped into my head when the opportunity arose. I figured you and Finn would appreciate it, as well as Mike."_

_ Rachel touched the nearest bra and she shivered as a vision of Finn taking it off her flashed behind her eyelids. She grew warm at the thought and knew she wouldn't be leaving without something to make Finn's mouth water._

_ A devilish grin stretched across her face. "What an excellent idea, Tina."_

Rachel placed her hands on her hips and chewed on her lip as she stared down at the three scandalous outfits she had purchased that day. "Black lace panties and a silky cami, black lace and cream with crystal bra and matching thong, or midnight blue lace bra with matching briefs?" she hemmed aloud, tapping her chin in thought. She was sure with how worked up Finn was he would love all of them and they probably wouldn't be on her body long, but she wished she had a better idea of the kind of lingerie Finn enjoyed.

A glance at the clock told her she had only about eighteen minutes left to make a decision and ready herself for a wonderful night. Grinning as she made her decision, Rachel snuck into the bathroom down the hall and removed her underwear. She hopped in the shower to rinse off the day quickly and soon was lighting the candles she had brought from home. She drew the curtains and the room was bathed in the soft red glow of the firelight. Rachel situated herself in the middle of the bed and laid back to get comfortable. She fluffed up her hair and smacked her lips together, shaking out her arms to calm her nerves as she waited.

Another glance at the clock told her it was nearing the half hour mark. Finn would surely be in at any second.

When the half hour mark came and went and there was no sign of Finn, Rachel began to grow a bit antsy. Finn had seemed so jazzed when they arrived home, she thought for sure he would have been busting down the door before she was even ready. As five minutes past turned into six, Rachel huffed and scooted out of bed. She needed to get to the bottom of the delay.

She cautiously stepped out of the bedroom and softly padded down the hallway, reaching the spiral staircase and pausing halfway down. Finn was screaming into his headset as bombs went off on the TV, booming loudly through the surround sound.

"Left, left! To the left, asshole!" Finn yelled, jumping to the edge of his seat, pressing furiously on the buttons of the controller. "Puck! What are you doing?!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and tiptoed down the rest of the staircase, slinking along the wall to avoid catching Finn's eye. When she made it to the couch, Rachel leaned over the back and placed her hands on Finn's shoulders. He startled slightly but didn't take his eyes off his game.

"Finn, it's been over half an hour."

"I'm in the middle of something."

She stood back up and put her hands on her hips. Was he serious?

"Finn…"

"I'm almost done." He waved his arm to indicate for her to leave him alone. In no mood to wait any longer, Rachel sauntered around the couch to stand directly in front of Finn, only his eyes were still focused on the television. "Babe, you're in the way."

Finally, he looked at Rachel who stood before him in a slinky black camisole with lace trim and a tiny pair of matching lacy panties. His mouth went dry and his breath stopped short in his throat. Finn's eyes slowly roamed from her feet up to her eyes which were dark with desire and suddenly his video game no longer seemed important.

He tugged the headset off and threw his controller onto the couch, ditching his game in the middle of play. Puck's shouting could be heard through the speaker but Finn ignored it as he stood up and stared down at Rachel with intense eyes. A beat of silence passed between them until Finn swiftly lifted Rachel off her feet and carried her bridal style back up to his bedroom, her giggles serenading them the whole way.

When he made it, Finn kicked the door closed behind him and laid Rachel out on the bed, hovering over her with a smirk on his lips. "If I had known you'd be wearing this," he fingered the lace hem of her soft cami, "I would have told Puck to find another teammate to play with."

"I was trying to surprise you but then you were late. I think we've waited long enough."

"Agreed." Finn dipped his head and pressed a kiss to Rachel's soft pink lips, her arms draping over his shoulders as she parted her legs. He dropped his hips between her thighs, rubbing his growing erection into her core, and feeling her heat caress his pelvis. "God, I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled against his lips and bucked her hips against his, wrapping her legs around the backs of his thighs.

Shifting his weight to his left arm, Finn ran his right hand up Rachel's side, pushing the material of her shirt up her torso. When he reached her breast, he moaned into her mouth before pulling away to kneel between her legs. He stared down at her in awe and she sat up, reaching for the hem of his t-shirt to pull it over his head. Her eyes were wide and she licked her lips as her fingers grazed the span of his bare chest, brushing along the small patch of hair in the center.

"You're so beautiful," she mumbled softly, resting her hand over his heart.

"You're beautiful." He kissed her again and his fingers slid under the lace strap of the camisole, slowly lowering it down her shoulder, doing the same to the other side until her breasts were exposed and the top of the shirt was bunched on top of her bump. Their kiss broke and his eyes fell to her chest, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips.

Finn lowered his head to kiss the tops of her breasts, poking his tongue out to caress her soft skin, moving his mouth lower as he pressed Rachel back into the bed. Her back arched under his kisses and her fingers slipped into his hair, tugging it gently as she rubbed her thighs up and down his sides. His hands gripped the material of her shirt and he pulled it lower on her body as his lips made their descent downward. He sat up and pulled the shirt under her behind and down her legs, lifting them to kiss each of her ankles before placing her feet flat on the bed, her knees bent and spread apart.

Rachel's heart raced in her chest and she could feel the flutter of the baby's movements in her abdomen. It was a strange sensation but one she was getting more and more used to as Finn got her heart rate up more often. Her body writhed as Finn repositioned himself and began to kiss from her knees down, licking and sucking slowly until he reached the apex of her thighs.

He licked along the edge of the lace, lightly running his fingers over the wet material covering her center. She shook beneath him and squeezed his head as he pressed his lips to her skin. He pushed her legs apart and pressed against the lace harder, rubbing it against the sensitive skin beneath. Slipping a finger below the material, he could feel how wet she was already and when he pulled it back out, her essence glistened on his skin.

Needing to taste her immediately, he sat back up and hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties and tugged them down until they were flung to the floor. Rachel sat before him completely naked and glowing, a grin on her face as she palmed her breasts and lightly pinched her dark nipples. He swiped his tongue over his lips and pushed back once more to settle his head between her legs, staring at her swollen folds with dark, hooded eyes, before finally licking a stripe up her slit.

She shivered in delight, a high pitched whine escaping her lips as her hand groped for his head. Her hips pressed against his face and he kissed her silky skin, slipping his tongue into her pussy. Finn dipped his fingers into her, spreading her apart to finger her, finding her g-spot and tickling it lightly. His tongue swirled around, searching for her clit, and upon finding it teased it until she seemed incoherent.

Rachel tasted like a sweet summer day, the yummiest candy he could ever imagine. She truly was the most delicious berry he had ever had the pleasure of eating and he knew now that he had had a taste, he would never want to stop. Rachel soaked his chin as she gushed around his fingers thrusting back and forth inside her, his lips wrapping around her nub and sucking hard to produce the friction he knew she was seeking.

"Harder, Finn," she groaned, bucking her hips again, gripping the back of his head to press his face closer to her body. He picked up the pace of his fingers, pressing harder against her spot, tonguing her clit more furiously, swirling around the hard little bud with more purpose. "So close, baby, so close…more!" He groaned against her and felt her walls clench around his fingers tightly. Her breathing became faster and shallower, her legs twitching on either side of his body. "F_inn_!"

Her back arched up as she lost control and came hard from Finn's touch. She rocked her hips against his mouth and hand through her orgasm, tapping the sensation for all it was worth. Finn continued to pleasure her until she finally stilled and breathed out heavily. He sat up and licked her juices from his chin, wiping the excess with the back of his hand as he smiled down at her.

Rachel was breathless as she brushed her fingers over her chest, her eyes closed in utter bliss and content. "That was…" She fanned herself and opened her eyes as she felt Finn lie down next to her. "You are very good with your hands…and your tongue."

"Just returning the favor finally."

She turned onto her side and ran her hand over his chest down to the waist of his shorts. "I'm not sure about you, but that definitely was not enough for me."

"I'm still wearing my pants. Of course that wasn't enough for me." Finn held the back of her head, pulling her close to kiss her, rolling her onto her back again. Her hands undid his button and zipper, pushing the material down his legs. She slid her hand under the band of his boxers, pushing them down too.

Finn shimmied out of his remaining clothes and knelt between her thighs again. He placed his hands on either side of her body, staring deeply into her eyes. A chuckle escaped his lips and Rachel tilted her head in question.

"What's so funny?"

"Just thinking about the last time we were in this same position… You got pregnant."

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about that happening right now." She wrapped her arms around his neck again and pulled up her legs to squeeze his body. Rachel kissed him hotly and threaded her fingers through his hair. "Make love to me, Finn." Their eyes met again and he gulped loudly, nodding, kissing her as he slipped his hand between them.

He pumped himself a few times then teased his tip along her wet folds. Slowly, he pushed inside her, diving deeper and deeper until he couldn't go any further. She was so hot and tight as he let himself revel in being back inside her once more after so many weeks of dreaming of it. He didn't move as he closed his eyes and dropped his forehead onto Rachel's shoulder.

Rachel squirmed underneath him, shifting her hips to make him move. "Finn…please," she whined. He picked his head back up and nodded, pulling out slowly and softly pushing back in. Finn moved gently, treating her like a porcelain doll, scared that one false move could hurt the precious lives below him. Unfortunately, Rachel was none too pleased with this.

"Finn, go faster, harder…"

"I don't want to hurt you or the baby."

"You won't. I trust you."

He kissed her one more time before sitting up and repositioning so he was holding her thighs apart, catching her legs under her knees. Finn pulled out and this time thrust back into her much harder, faster, and deeper. Rachel squealed at the change and gripped the pillow under her head tightly while he dug his fingers into her flesh. He jerked his hips again, getting a steady rhythm going, and grunted as the friction began to build his own pleasure. It had been so long since he felt this good and he wanted it to last but the faster he moved, the faster it came on. Just before he could let go, Finn pulled out completely much to Rachel's dissatisfaction.

"What are you doing?" she said breathlessly.

He just smirked as he lifted her to her knees and sat on the bed, placing her in his lap. Understanding, Rachel shifted forward, taking him back inside and placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. His hands fell to her stomach as he wrapped his lips around her nipple, tugging on it gently with his teeth. She dug her short nails into his shoulders and he moaned, sending vibrations through her entire body.

Rachel rocked against his hips, whining each time he thrust into her, tugging his head back to press her lips to his. Their mouths molded together as the rest of them seemed to melt into each other too, becoming one body, one heart, and one soul. He held her sides moving her on his shaft, feeling the familiar tightening in his body of an oncoming orgasm.

He quickened his pace, pumping hard and deep, her hot, slick walls enveloping his cock tighter and tighter as she came closer to her peak. "Ra-Rachel…" His eyes squeezed shut and his mouth fell into an O shape as he swelled and pulsed, releasing inside Rachel, hot and thick. "F-fuck, fuck," he choked out. He fell back onto the bed with a guttural groan but Rachel continued to roll her hips atop him. She scratched down his chest, squeezing his cock hard as she began to rub her clit, until Finn's hand pushed hers aside and took over the job. Seconds later she cried out loudly, gripping him and pulsing fast as she came yet again.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" she screamed, throwing her head back, her chest and round belly heaving, turning Finn on and forcing him to come even harder as he finished. When she came down, Rachel lifted herself off Finn and laid down next to him on her back, her eyes out of focus as she stared up at the glowing red ceiling. She could feel Finn move next to her and his lips pressing against her shoulder. Her eyes focused and she turned her head to see the sated and happy expression on his face.

"Hi."

She chuckled and turned onto her side. "Hi."

He smoothed his hand over her swollen stomach to her back and pulled her closer, pressing her stomach against his. "Now that I could never forget."

"Good. Because I would not be too happy if you forgot a third time."

"Whoa!" Finn yelled, glancing down at where his stomach was touching Rachel's. "What the hell?"

Rachel scrunched her brow and looked down at her bump. "You felt that?"

"Yeah. Was that…was that the baby?"

She nodded. "Yeah. She's been going wild ever since we started. When my heart rate is elevated she gets really active."

Finn placed his hand directly over her bump and jolted when he felt pressure on his palm. "Whoa." His lips stretched into a grin and he looked up at Rachel, moving his hand over her stomach trying to feel more. The baby kicked again and it grew even bigger. "I can't believe it. Our baby is moving. And I'm feeling it finally."

Rachel put her hand on her stomach too just in time to feel a kick. "She feels so much stronger now. It's amazing how much has changed in just four weeks."

"It's amazing how much has changed since April. I have a stunning girlfriend and a baby on the way and I never thought I could ever be this happy."

"Me either. I really love you, Finn. I hope you know that."

"I do. I love you too. I love you and our baby so much."

They kissed on their sentiments and this time, Rachel rolled Finn onto his back. "Why don't you show me again how much you love me?" She chuckled and pressed a scorching kiss to his lips.

The couple made love into the late hours of the night until Rachel could no longer keep her eyes open. Finn held her close, kissing her temple softly as he stroked her belly, feeling the light flutters of movement their baby was making. They were so strong after every orgasm she had but as her heart rate slowed and she became drowsier, the movements became more infrequent, like the little thing was tuckered out too.

It was the most incredible sensation to experience, feeling his child move for the first time. It felt so weird and looked so strange to see the little bump forming under Rachel's skin as some body part or another pushed on the outside wall of her uterus. He thought it would have freaked him out after the conversation he'd had with Mike, but honestly, it just made it all the more exhilarating. Not only did he get to have sex with the gorgeous woman he loved, he got to increase his connection with the child he had helped create. The way he saw it, there was nothing freaky about pregnant sex. When the movements finally ceased completely, Finn allowed himself to finally join Rachel in sleep.

When he woke the next morning, Finn smiled as he remembered the night previous and rolled over to cuddle Rachel close and possibly initiate some hot morning sex. He could practically feel the testosterone fueling his libido and he began to grow hard as the blood pumped south. But when he opened his eyes after feeling nothing but bed next to him, he was disappointed to see he was alone in his room.

Throwing on some shorts, Finn used the bathroom then made his way downstairs, hoping he'd find Rachel there. He could hear her singing in the kitchen from the stairs and smiled to himself as he cut through the living room. When he turned the corner and found her standing in front of the stove wearing a black and cream bra with matching thong panties and sheer black thigh highs held up by little black garter straps, his breath caught in his throat and his former hard-on returned in full force, making a nice tent in his shorts.

"Am I dreaming right now?" he asked as he entered the kitchen. "Because this feels kinda dreamlike."

Rachel turned around holding the pan and a spatula, flashing him a grand smile as she slipped the bacon from the pan onto a plate. "Not a dream." She bit her lip and put the pan back on the stove. "Your idea about spending the day in bed sounded really good so I thought I'd make us breakfast in bed. You weren't supposed to wake up yet."

Finn chuckled lightly. "That's not actually what I was referring to." He walked around the island and joined Rachel on the other side, sidling up behind her as she scrambled some eggs. "I don't recall you ever cooking in naughty lingerie." His length pressed against her back and he ran his hands around to hold her bump.

"It's part of your morning surprise."

He pulled the hair away from her neck and pressed a kiss just beneath her ear. "It's the sexiest surprise I've ever had."

Rachel turned in his arms and rested hers on his shoulders. "That's what I was going for." She leaned up and kissed him before turning back around to take the eggs off the heat. "Go sit down."

"I don't want to sit down." He pulled the towel on her other shoulder away, throwing it on the counter, and showed attention to that side as well, his hands running from the band of her bra down her sides to hold the curve of her ass.

"Finn," Rachel said through a breath, gripping his forearms as he sucked on her skin, "we need to eat."

"It can wait." He ground his erection into her harder, telling her with his body how badly he needed her.

Rachel squeaked as his hand snaked its way around to the front of her panties, dipping below the waist to tease the soft flesh. As he felt the tiny patch of hair, he groaned into her shoulder and Rachel's head fell back against his chest as her back bowed and her ass ground into his groin.

His fingers trailed lower slipping between her folds and finding her arousal pooled there. He curled them into her opening, tickling her silky walls, and making her dig her nails deep into his arms.

"Oh God!" she cried when his thumb found her nub, her eyes falling shut. Her knees trembled as he rubbed her gently and she was just about to turn around and mount him when she could smell smoke. Her eyes flew open and widened in terror. "OH GOD!"

"I know," Finn said in a husky voice, pressing harder on her clit. But then Rachel yanked his hand away from her body and his own eyes shot open to see a towel flaming on a burner.

Finn pushed Rachel back in a protective manner and grabbed the end of the towel that wasn't burning, throwing it into the sink and turning on the water. The fire went out immediately, the smoke billowing around them, and he turned back to Rachel sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't realize I threw it that close to the burner."

Rachel put her hands on her hips, jutting it out to the side as she stared at him. "This is why if we're going to have kitchen sex, you should wait until all open flames are extinguished." She turned off the stove and grabbed the eggs to spoon them onto a plate. "Now sit down so we can eat. We need sustenance to keep our energy and strength up." She shooed him over to a seat on the other side of the island and handed over a plate, leaning on the counter.

He took a bite of the bacon and moaned in delight. "S'good."

"I'm glad you enjoy my cooking." She pushed off the island and got into the seat next to him to eat her own breakfast, wolfing it down quickly.

As they finished their meals, both sat back in their stools, rubbing their bellies in satiation. "That was delicious, babe. Thanks."

"It was just eggs and bacon."

"Those are the best breakfast foods ever though." He turned in his seat and rubbed the skin showing on her thigh. "To be honest though, I'm still hungry."

Rachel scrunched her face in confusion. "You just ate like four eggs and six pieces of bacon."

He lifted Rachel from her seat abruptly, making her squeal as he sat her in his lap, straddling his thighs. "I'm not hungry for food," he said in a deep, gravelly voice. His pupils dilated as he cupped her face and pulled her close for a kiss.

Rachel ground her core against him, her hands finding his waist band and pulling them lower to release his fully erect cock. She lifted her hips and tugged the material of her thong to the side, gripping his shaft in her hand and guiding him into her. They both moaned as their bodies connected again, her walls tightening around his girth, rubbing up and down as she rolled her hips, building the flames in their bellies.

She bounced on his cock, basking in the passion sparking between them with every motion. The way he looked at her made her feel loved and sexy and she had never felt such a connection with a man. Their eyes met and locked as she panted hard from the exertion, digging her nails into his arms as he held her hips, moving her on his body.

He began thrusting into her harder and her nerves tingled in delight until the sensation became too much and she seized in Finn's arms, her vision going hazy as she began to come. Watching Rachel come undone sent Finn over the edge too and he spilled into her, his cock pulsing as Rachel began slowly rocking her hips to milk him dry.

As their breathing evened out, Rachel slid off Finn's length and leaned her forehead against his, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you." Finn felt a small punch to his chest and realized the baby was kicking again. He looked down to see the gentle bumps in her skin where the baby was hitting and grinned, running his hand over it to feel. "And I love you too." He pushed his plate out of the way and lifted Rachel onto the counter to get eyelevel with her stomach. Finn held the sides of her belly and pressed his lips to the center. "I love you both so much."

Rachel played with his hair before tugging him back to look up at her. "She loves you too."

The rest of the day was spent in bed, making love, watching baby themed movies at Rachel's insistence until she finally fell asleep and Finn was able to put Comedy Central on, and just generally enjoying the other's company.

As they sat in bed eating the Chinese they ordered, Finn brought up the idea of vacation again. "Are you sure you don't want to take vacation? We could spend every day of the next two weeks like this?"

Rachel gave him a stern glance. "We can make do with our days off. I know you changed your schedule to match mine."

"Can you really blame me? We haven't had sex in over two months…other than last night and today."

"Well, think of it as practice for after the baby is born. I won't be able to have sex for at least six weeks after giving birth. But until then, we have the next nineteen weeks to enjoy hormone driven, unprotected sex. You better enjoy it because once the baby is born, we're using condoms. We don't need this happening again anytime soon."

"I thought you wanted more kids?"

"I do. But until I'm on my feet with my career, and preferably married, one child is enough."

"Well…if that's the case…"

Finn put his container of rice down and practically mauled Rachel to have his way with her again.

The next few days passed in perfect domestic bliss. When they weren't at work, Finn and Rachel spent their time cuddled together on the couch, eating the food they made together while watching television, before the cuddles turned to make outs which further progressed into the sizzling sex they had been deprived of for over ten weeks.

Rachel was insatiable now that her wild sexual beast had been released. Finn had read that pregnant women's libidos could go into overdrive due to their hormones, but this was beyond his wildest dreams. Every night they ended the day with a round before she would pass out in his arms and on more than one occasion he had woken in a daze to find Rachel on top of him, taking advantage of his nighttime boners. And when Finn would hop in the shower to get ready for work, Rachel would join him citing a shared shower would save time and water, but would usually ending up taking longer than separate showers.

For the first time in their relationship, things were absolutely perfect and Rachel seemed to be in a perpetual good mood which Finn was somewhat suspicious of. It went against everything that had occurred thus far in their time together and he couldn't help but wait for the other shoe to drop.

It finally fell at the tail end of her shift on that Friday as she counted her tips from the night.

"This can't be right," she muttered to herself as she recounted the bills in her hands. On a good night, especially a Friday or Saturday, she could make anywhere from 150 to 200 bucks in tips, sometimes even more, but what she counted only came up to about 60 dollars after an eight hour shift. She turned to Kitty who was counting her tips for the night as well and furrowed her brow when she saw the amount of green in her hands. Growing defensive and jealous, Rachel walked over to her to have a word. "You didn't happen to get some of my tips, did you?"

"Excuse me?" she replied with a dirty glare. "Why would I take your tips when I'm more than capable of making enough on my own?"

"It's just that you seem to have twice as much as usual while I have half as much. I thought you might have gotten some of mine and just forgotten to give them to me."

Kitty snorted and her eyes dropped to Rachel's swollen belly. "I only took _my _tips. Perhaps it has something to do with that lump under your shirt." Rachel placed her hands over her stomach protectively. "This place is frequented by the college crowd at night on the weekends. Guys want hot pieces of ass to ogle while they get smashed. Not fat lumpy ones. They may enjoy staring down your shirt at those melons you've grown but when their eyes get to the balloon under them, their blood goes back to their brain and they wise up. Face it; you've lost your sex appeal. The only one who still finds you attractive when they order their drink is Jewfro." Rachel felt wounded at Kitty's assessment and tears began to sting in her eyes. "I'm the hot girl who was hired to replace you because the bosses knew business would suffer once you blew up."

She bit back her tears and steeled her face. "You were hired to take over because I'm pregnant, not because I'm not attractive. Finn still finds me very hot," she replied defiantly, turning her nose up at the blonde.

"He and Jewfro are the only ones. Now, if you'll excuse me. I still have tips to count. I'm already at $240 and still have a few twenties to add." She smiled darkly at Rachel before turning back to counting.

In a fury, Rachel grabbed her take off the counter and stormed into the back. The tears began to flow as she blew past Puck and Finn talking with one of the chefs cleaning before stomping into the office and slamming the door behind her so hard the wall shook.

"Oh no, Scary Berry is back," Puck commented as he and Finn stared at the office door. He clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "Good luck with that, bro."

Finn narrowed his eyes at Puck before turning to find out what was up with Rachel. He hesitantly knocked on the door only to receive no answer. He tried again and spoke this time. "Rachel?" No response. He tried the knob and found it unlocked, slowly turning it and opening the door a crack. "Rach? Baby?" He could hear her sniffling as she sat in the swivel chair, facing the back wall.

He stepped into the room fully and closed the door behind him, walking over to face Rachel. It proved harder to achieve than he anticipated as she kept swiveling away from him every time he came close to seeing her face. "Rachel, baby, look at me." He finally gripped the back of the chair, forcing her to stop moving, placing his hands on her cheeks and brushing her tears away. "Rachel, what happened?" She just shook her head and closed her eyes, tears continuing to slip down her cheeks. "Babe, why are you crying?"

She choked on a sob before opening her eyes and looking into Finn's concerned amber orbs. "I hate her."

"Who?"

"Kitty. She is such a bitch." A few more tears escaped and she pulled Finn's hands away from her cheeks.

Finn's face darkened and he knelt to see her better. "What did she do?"

Rachel wiped away more tears. "I was counting my tips and I made a lot less than usual today. I thought she may have taken some of mine but she said she didn't. She said I just made less because I'm not hot anymore and now she's the hot bartender so she makes more. She just made me feel so bad about myself. Like being pregnant is something ugly and to be ashamed of."

"Rachel, don't you dare listen to her. You are so hot. You're gorgeous, beautiful, sexy, a goddess, the love of my life, and there is _nothing_ to be ashamed of. Our baby is a miracle. Kitty is a cold, hard bitch and doesn't hold half the attraction you do and can't appreciate motherhood and true love because she's never felt what we have and what you're going through."

"But what if she's right? The tips prove that people prefer Kitty to me…"

"Babe, don't take it personally. Guys probably think that if they give Kitty a bigger tip they'll have a better chance of getting into her pants. With you, you're pregnant with another man's baby. They figure there's no chance since you're taken. I bet if we asked all the guys that come in here, they would say you're a MILF. Because you totally are babe."

"You just think that because you love me."

"I do love you, but I've had multiple guys tell me they think you're super hot."

"Who? Puck and Sam?" Rachel asked incredulously. "They just like big boobs."

"Actually, there was a dude in here with his girlfriend earlier who was checking out your ass while you were tying your shoe and he got a smack in the back of the head for his obvious staring. And then this other guy, when he found out you're my girlfriend, he said that you were really beautiful and he always thought pregnant women were sexy, which was why he was on vacation with his wife and _six_ children." Finn chuckled and the corner of Rachel's lips turned up. "You're sexy, babe. Believe it."

Rachel shrugged and stared down at her fidgeting hands. "Sometimes it's just hard to feel sexy when you're a blimp and have heartburn, and gas, and back and foot pain, and all the other women around you are still skinny and their hair is shiny and their acne is under control. I feel gross."

"You are hardly gross, Rachel." Finn gripped Rachel's thighs and looked up at her, catching her gaze. "You're so sexy. You've proven that all week. I loved the lingerie you surprised me with, I love watching you move on top of me, I love touching you," Finn smoothed his hands up her thighs to the edge of her shorts, "I love looking at your bump – knowing we did that, I love running my tongue over your skin, sucking on your breasts while I dip my fingers inside you. I love all of that because you are just so hot when you're worked up. You're hot when you bite your lip and give me those sultry stares through your lashes. You're hot when you first wake up and you have bed head and eye crusties and dried drool on your cheek."

Rachel shoved his shoulder and fought back a grin. "Am I really sexy? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"So fucking sexy, babe."

Rachel's lips curled into a mischievous grin before she flung herself at Finn, forcing him to balance their weight on his knees unexpectedly and failing as he fell back against the file cabinet. She kissed his face over and over until she reached his lips, slowing her affections to truly enjoy his mouth on hers. Their tongues met and Finn's hands found their way under the waist of her shorts to squeeze her ass as she slipped her hands under his shirt. She pulled the material away from his body and lifted it over his head, scraping her nails down his chest to his jeans. Finn began to palm her breasts as she undid his button and zipper, pushing her hand into his boxers and feeling his velvety cock begin to harden under her touch.

"You're the best boyfriend ever," she said against his lips, running her tongue over his lips before pulling back and shoving his pants and boxers down. He lifted his hips to help her remove them and hissed as his bare ass met the cool tile of the floor. Rachel sat back on his thighs and wrapped her fingers around his girth, slowly pumping her hand. "I love you."

"Love you too," he replied, bucking his hips and slamming his head back into the file cabinet. "That feels so good, baby. Don't stop."

"I wasn't planning on it." She swiped her tongue over her lips and moved further down his body to bring her mouth closer to his cock. Rachel looked up at him one last time before tonguing his tip, swirling it around his head before teasing the underside slowly. She slicked down his shaft, reaching his balls, and took them into her mouth, sucking and kissing softly while she ran her thumb over his tip, feeling his moisture seeping out. Wanting to taste him, Rachel ran her tongue back up the underside of his cock, making him shiver, and wrapped her lips around him, sucking on him like a lollipop. She took more of him into her mouth, relaxing her throat to swallow as much as she could until she could feel him hit the back. Finn's fingers ran through her hair and she could feel his cock twitch on her tongue. She moaned and sucked back up, teasing him with her whole mouth. She licked her lips again and sat up, staring at Finn's face. She lifted her lips to Finn's ear, lightly caressing his length, and whispered in a husky tone, "I'm going to suck you dry."

He groaned and before she could move back down to continue blowing him, Finn held Rachel against him and pressed her back onto the floor before getting to his feet and lifting her up. He placed her on the desk and shoved her shirt up to show her satin purple bra and her soft round belly as she leaned back on the flat surface. Forcefully, Finn undid her pants and yanked them off her body, pushing her legs apart. He gripped his cock and teased her wet pussy as Rachel squirmed before slamming into her.

The desk scraped against the floor and Finn gripped Rachel's hips as he pulled back out and slammed back in. She writhed as he fucked her, begging him to go faster and harder, needing his touch and his intimacy. When Finn stared into her eyes as he pounded into her, she could feel his affections shining through and knew that he had been serious when he said she was sexy. Just because she was pregnant didn't mean she had lost any of her sex appeal. In fact, when she was fucking Finn or making love with him she felt sexier than ever. She was already pregnant so it was freeing to be able to have sex without worrying about possibly getting pregnant. She felt like she could do anything and she felt an even greater connection with Finn without the barrier of a condom.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Rach. So beautiful."

She whined as he began to thumb her clit and her legs quivered when he found the perfect rhythm inside her. Her walls squeezed him hard, her nub pulsing underneath his fingers. They pushed and pulled against each other until Rachel screamed Finn's name as she came undone and he released inside her.

Finn lifted Rachel off the desk and sat down in the chair, Rachel on his lap. They kissed tenderly as their heart rates slowed back down and Finn made sure to hold Rachel's belly to feel their baby kick.

"It's going to be strange when we have sex and I don't feel the kicks. I'm getting used to it."

"She loves to move around." Rachel nuzzled her nose against his cheek. "Thank you, Finn. You always make me feel so special."

"That's because you are."

Rachel pulled back and looked into his eyes. "I love you. Let's go home. It's been a long day and I'm tired."

"Get dressed. I need to take care of something."

Finn quickly threw his own clothes on and exited the office to find Puck standing with a smug smirk on his face. "Dude, we share that office."

"Just consider us even for when you and Quinn were in there last." He looked toward the front. "Is Kitty still here?"

"She's wiping down the bar. Why?"

Finn ignored his question and went to talk to Kitty. When he found her, she brightened and turned on the charm. "Hello, Finn. I didn't realize you were still here."

"I've been consoling my girlfriend because you insulted her." Kitty's face went blank and she turned back to cleaning glasses. "I get that you're hot and probably feel that you can do whatever you want because of it, but just because you're pretty doesn't give you the right to be a bitch. I hired you to help because Rachel isn't going to be able to do this job much longer, and it isn't because she isn't hot, because she is hotter than every other woman I've ever met. It's because she's pregnant. She doesn't need you making her feel like shit about it. So you better at least pretend to be nice or I'll find someone else to take your place. Understand?"

Kitty just swallowed and nodded before putting the glasses in their rack. "Understood. I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

Rachel walked out of the back then, clearly annoyed with Puck poking fun at them getting it on in the back office. She rolled her eyes but stopped when she saw him talking with Kitty. She grew sullen once more and protectively held her stomach as if Kitty were about to hurt her and the baby.

"Well?" Finn said, looking at Kitty who rolled her eyes and scoffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned toward Rachel, stepping closer to speak to her.

"Rachel, I want to apologize for what I said to you earlier. It was rude and I'm sorry."

"Yes, it was rude," was all Rachel said in reply. "Finn? Are you ready? I want to go home."

"Yeah, everything here looks good. We can lock up now."

In the cab on the way home, Rachel leaned into Finn and played with his hand. "I think it may be time for me to step down as bartender and go back into the office. It's getting harder to be on my feet for so long and Kitty has a point. I'm pregnant and horny college boys don't want to ogle pregnant bellies. All this," she ran her hand over her stomach, "might get you hot under the collar, but most guys would run in the other direction. I need to face reality. I'm not suited for bartending at the moment."

"Rach, don't let Kitty get to you."

"I'm not. Your consoling made me realize that I am still sexy, but I need to be realistic. Bartending is not the best job for a pregnant woman."

"You can still bartend if you really want to, but if you want to start back in the office, you can. If you want, tomorrow payroll needs to be done so we can switch shifts. You still remember how to do it, right?"

"Yes, you only drilled it into my head repeatedly."

"Well, I've messed up payroll before and people are not happy when they only get paid 80 dollars when they were supposed to get five times that."

"I'm meticulous. I think I will be fine."

When they arrived home, Rachel needed some more reassurance that she was sexy before passing out in the most adorable manner. Finn couldn't keep from staring at her as she slept next to him, watching the flutters coming from her belly. He rested his hand over the place that was rising the most with the movement and smiled when he felt a light pressure pushing back. He scooted down the bed and pressed his lips to Rachel's stomach.

"I love you, Baby. I can't wait to meet you." He kissed her stomach before receiving a punch to the lips which he took as a goodnight in lieu of speech. Finn moved back up to lay his head on the pillows, pulling the sheets up over Rachel's exposed body. "Goodnight, Rachel. I love you."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she turned in her sleep to sidle up against him, mumbling quietly, "Love you, Finn." All he could do was smile before joining the woman he loved in dreaming.

* * *

I love you all. Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. They're very much appreciated. I hope this satisfied your lust for some Finchel lovin'. :)


	17. The Change

Again, I apologize for the delay. School has been so hectic lately. But, the new chapter is here! Enjoy!

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Finn and Rachel's two week vacation from the real world came to a sad end when their last intimate moment in Finn's bedroom was disrupted by the sound of banging on the wall and Burt's voice coming through the vent.

"If you want to do that, go _home_!" he yelled, cutting through the sounds of Finn and Rachel's love making. Flushing in embarrassment at having been caught again, Rachel attempted to pull away from Finn but he held her close to him.

"We're not stopping," he mumbled into her ear, pumping into her slowly again.

She pressed her ass into his hips as her back arched and moaned as quietly as she could. "But they can hear."

He kissed her under her ear, sucking hard to leave a mark. "Too bad for them." Finn lifted her leg higher in an attempt to penetrate deeper and Rachel's hand snaked down his side to the curve of his behind.

They had been napping only minutes prior in the spooning position and when Finn awoke with a solid boner, he felt the need to wake Rachel with it as well. He kissed along her shoulder, smoothing his rough hands over her soft belly to cradle her, running his length along her backside. It didn't take much more prodding for Rachel to guide him inside her slick folds once she was conscious.

His thrusts were quick and shallow, Rachel smiling and biting her lip with each one, his own face scrunching from the insane pleasure coursing through him. He squeezed her thigh as he slid into her, holding for a moment before pulling back out, slipping back in and doing the same. He lowered her leg to wrap around his, moving his hand to her hip and pulling her so he was on his back and she was atop him. Rachel sat up holding her weight with her hands on Finn's chest as she slowly rolled her hips.

Finn watched Rachel's ass in fascination as she sat forward and lifted her hips to drop back down on his cock. She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled at him before her head fell back and she let out a moan, shuddering when she found the perfect rotation for making her toes curl. She dug her nails into Finn's thighs as she held herself up, her head dropping forward while her ass cheeks jiggled as she moved. All he could do was stare at her body as she rode him like a fucking horse, her perfect tanned and toned form mesmerizing, her pussy stretched around his thick cock as she picked her hips up, swirled them around and dropped back down.

He sat up abruptly, gripping her sides to pull her flush against him. She stifled a cry as he slammed into her hard, forcing her head back onto his shoulder and her pussy to tighten. Rachel's hand came up to the back of Finn's head and she pulled on his hair, eliciting a hiss from him. He ran his hands up to her breasts and held them, pinching her nipples, tugging on them until Rachel placed her hand over his and brought it down between her legs. He licked his lips before sucking on her neck, finding her clit and rubbing it as he pumped into her. She reached lower and lightly massaged his balls while he worked on her clit, the entire time both of them writhing against the other.

With a final squeeze to his sensitive skin, Finn grew even harder before he erupted hot and heavy. He twitched inside her and Rachel could feel his orgasm, knowing she brought him that release, that indescribable pleasure. He kept moving inside her, circling her nub, sucking on her skin until she couldn't see straight anymore. Rachel lost herself, her mind going blank and her blood pounding in her ears.

A loud gasp burst out of her mouth as she started to breathe again unaware she had even stopped until that moment. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her heart fluttered like a hummingbird's wings. The baby kicked hard inside her womb, boxing her insides and making it known that he or she was awake and alert.

Finn slowly sank back on the bed, bringing Rachel down with him. She laid on top of him, turning her head to look up at him, his nose brushing over her forehead. Rachel scooted up his body to reach his lips, his length slipping out of her body as she did so. She grabbed his hands which had come to rest on her breasts and placed them on her stomach. They both felt around, the baby kicking in a few spots. There was one area in particular that seemed to get pushed more than any other and she and Finn both placed their fingers there.

"I wonder if that's a hand or a foot," Finn thought idly, running his fingers over the spot, feeling movement again.

"Too early to tell. Right now they all look and feel the same." Rachel slid off of his body and rested next to him, nestling herself into his side, hitching her leg over his front and draping her arm over his chest. She danced her fingers over his skin, smiling as he entwined their fingers and brought them up to his lips to press a soft kiss to her fingertips.

"I love you."

She stared up at him, lifting her head to press a kiss to his already swollen lips. "Not as much as I love you."

"I don't think that's possible. I love you like…" he tried to think of a good comparison but when Rachel started to stroke below his bellybutton, his eyes rolled back into his head and he couldn't seem to articulate anymore, "a fucking lot."

She smirked and kissed him again, her hand trailing lower to stroke him lightly, her fingertips barely grazing his skin. He hissed again and bucked his hips up, seeking some relief as he began to harden again. "That is quite a lot. You know what else I love?" Finn moaned in response. "Fucking you a lot." Her hand wrapped around his girth again, stroking him.

He found some strength and moved to press Rachel onto her back, sitting up between her thighs. Finn lifted her legs and placed her feet on his shoulders, holding her ankles to steady her. Just before he could start again, a knock on the door called their attention.

"Hey love birds, get your asses downstairs. Carole wants to talk to you both. And please come out decent."

Burt walked away and Finn bowed his head, sighing deeply. "Is Blaine home?"

Rachel shrugged. "I've hardly spoken to him in days. I just texted him before our nap to make sure he fed Snickerdoodle. All I got back in reply was a yes."

"If he is, we're kicking him out." Finn pulled away and lowered Rachel's feet to the bed. "It's obviously time to leave."

A few minutes later they found Burt and Carole in the living room with a few bags on the coffee table. Carole lit up as she saw them come down the stairs and eagerly hugged them both in greeting.

"Oh, I've missed you both so much."

"Wow, Mom, you got like, _really_ tan."

She glanced down at her dark arms. "I fell asleep in the sun. Thank goodness I was wearing sunscreen or it could have been a lot worse. Anyway, come here, we come bearing gifts."

They followed Carole back to the couches and sat down next to each other across from his parents, Rachel's hand falling to Finn's thigh as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Carole's heart swelled as she watched them interact, but got back to the task at hand.

"Anyway, we brought you all some souvenirs from our trip." Carole clapped her hands together once before grabbing a bag with Disney characters on it. "Before we drove down to Boca Raton from Orlando, we spent a few days at Disney. They have the cutest Mickey ear hats. I got you Pirates of the Caribbean Mickey ears," Carole pulled a hat out with Mickey ears on it that had a pirate bandana with a skull and crossbones eye patch on, handing it to Finn, "and they had a princess one too," she pulled out a bright pink hat with a veil hanging in the back and a tiara on the front, and handed it to Rachel. "I thought you two would like them."

"Thanks, Mom, they're great." Finn put his on and turned to Rachel with a big smile on his face. She giggled and thought he looked like an adorable little kid with his beaming grin and the big Mickey ears. Rachel put her own ears on and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"But that's not all." She pulled out two much smaller hats, one pale blue with Mickey's face on it, and one pale pink with Minnie's face and a pink bow on the top. "We weren't sure about the sex since you decided to wait so we got one of each. I figured if your friend Tina has a girl and you have a boy or vice versa, you could give the other hat to her, and if you have the same, I guess we can just save it for if we get another grandson or granddaughter." She eyed her son and his girlfriend, insinuating that they may provide her with more grandchildren sometime down the line. She handed the baby hats over and Rachel looked like she was about to cry.

"Thank you so much, Carole, Burt. That was so sweet and thoughtful of you."

"We got some more too." She pulled out two boxes, one with Finn's name on the top and the other with Rachel's.

"Oh Carole, you didn't need to. It's too much," Rachel insisted as she took the box, "really."

"Nonsense. I love giving gifts and thought you would appreciate these."

They opened their respective boxes and Rachel gasped when she saw what was inside. Contained in her box was a _Beauty and the Beast the Musical_ snow globe. She handled it with care and felt her eyes grow wet with thankful tears. "Carole, this is beautiful. Thank you, so much."

"I remember you said _Beauty and the Beast_ was the first show your fathers ever took you to and when I saw Finn's I knew I had to get that one too." Finn finally pulled his gift out to find a _Lion King the Musical_ snow globe. "Finn collects snow globes and I took him to see _The Lion King_ musical for Christmas when he was eleven since it's his favorite Disney movie. It was his first Broadway musical."

"Thanks, Mom. That's seriously cool that you remembered all that."

"You're my son. I remember everything when it comes to you. Makes it easier to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend." She chuckled at his eye roll. "Okay, that's all I have for you. I saw some very cute baby things I wanted to buy but since we don't know the sex, I refrained. But be prepared, that kid is going to be spoiled rotten once he or she is born."

"My dads are the same way. They're actually really excited to be grandparents."

"It's nice payback," Burt said, nodding with a grin on his face.

"Hey! I wasn't the one who got all wound up on sugar at Grandma and Grandpa's and was sent home for Mom and Dad to deal with it. Exact your revenge on Kurt," Finn joked with him.

He pointed at him. "If you and Kurt are going to be having kids, you gotta deal with all the consequences."

"Thank you both so much for these. You really didn't need to get us anything," Rachel said, smiling down at the small Mickey and Minnie hats. Now she kind of wished she did know the sex.

"You're family, Rachel, and I need someone to spoil now that the kids are out of the house." Rachel stood and moved to hug Carole. "Rachel? Are you crying?"

Rachel wiped at her eyes. "Sorry. It's just so nice to hear you call me family," she replied as she pulled away from the hug.

"It's nice to call you family." She hugged her again and caught Finn's eye. He had a soft smile on his lips and in his eyes as he saw how happy Rachel was. "Finn couldn't have brought home a better girl."

Rachel squeezed her tighter and for the first time really felt what it was like to have a mother's love. She hoped that someday her own child could feel the same way about her.

A few hours later, after sharing dinner with Carole and Burt and packing up their things from Finn's room, the couple found themselves back at Rachel's apartment. Much to her surprise, the apartment was clean and organized and bore no signs of having visitors for two weeks.

When they walked into her bedroom, Rachel searched her room over to be sure nothing was missing and was pleased to find everything in order. She sat down on her bed, laying back and sighing deeply as she snuggled into her pillow which smelled freshly washed and dried. "Oh how I've missed you," she said into the soft pillow, loving being back in her own bed in her own bedroom.

Finn joined her, crawling over her body and caging her in with his. "I think it's time we break this bed in properly."

"I like how you think." Rachel pulled Finn's head down and kissed him hard on the mouth while he started tugging her panties down from under her dress. Her hands made their way to his shorts and she quickly pushed the offending item away, dipping her hand into his boxers to take him out and get him hard.

They began to get a steady rhythm, their breath heavy, their skin slapping together, and the sound of their kisses filling the room. Finn got on his knees between Rachel's thighs, staring down at her until he could feel the sensation of being watched. He scrunched his brow, mildly distracted as he searched the room finding nothing out of order.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked in a breathy voice, picking up on Finn's demeanor.

He looked back down at her and shot her a grin. "Nothing." He leaned back down to capture her lips in a searing kiss and continued to pump into her.

Finn was about to come out of his skin in the best way possible until a blur from above jolted him and nearly caused his heart to explode from his chest. He flew off of Rachel and the bed, hitting the floor with a hard thump as a hissing and growling cream and coppery ball jumped on top of him. Claws dug into his chest as Snickerdoodle attacked, scratching anywhere he could reach.

Rachel sat up in fear for her boys, scrambling from the bed to lift Doodle off of Finn. He hissed at her too but made no move to scratch her. "Doodle! Bad kitty! Bad!" she scolded, heading for the door and flinging it open to toss the cat out of the room. "You think about what you did!" She turned back to Finn and grimaced at the sight of her boyfriend lying with his shorts around his ankles and blood dripping down his cheek from the scratches Doodle left behind. "I am so sorry, Finn!"

"What the fuck is his problem?" Finn asked gruffly, pulling his boxers back up and sitting upright. Rachel grabbed a tissue to wipe at the blood and crouched down next to him on the floor.

"He was protecting me."

"From what?"

"For some reason Doodle hates when I have sex. I discovered that the first time Brody spent the night with me and made deeper claw marks in his chest than I did. He thinks I'm getting hurt and feels the need to defend me. He's such a stealth cat I didn't even realize he was in here."

"Why didn't he attack when I spent the night the last time? We got pretty heated then."

Rachel shrugged. "He obviously wasn't in here. Generally if he's not on the window sill, he's in the bathroom sink."

"Stupid cat…" Finn grumbled under his breath. He stood up and kicked his shorts off before pulling Rachel to her feet too. "Aw man, I lost it." Finn glanced down at his shorts to see his erection had disappeared. Playfully, he took Rachel's hands and draped her arms over his shoulders, placing his hands on her hips. "Wanna help me get it back?"

Rachel pretended to think about it as she chewed on her lip, glancing off in the distance. "Well, my underwear is already on the floor…" She giggled and squealed as Finn lifted her off her feet and got busy again.

The next day, they were lounging on the couch when Blaine arrived home in a giddy mood. "I have news!" he announced as he walked around the couch to stand in front of the television.

"You make a better wall than window?" Rachel replied sarcastically, pausing their movie.

"That never gets old."

"You never stop standing in front of the television when you want all eyes on you." Rachel smiled smugly. "What's your news?"

He held his hands together and grinned so wide Rachel was afraid his face would split in half. "I got a part in a Broadway musical!"

"Really?! That's fantastic, Blaine! For which show?"

"_Elf_! It's only for the holiday and I'll only be in the chorus, but still, it's a part on Broadway!"

"That's amazing! I'm so proud of you, Blaine." Rachel stood up and hugged her cousin, truly happy for his success. She kissed his cheek and he hugged her tighter.

"I can't believe I'm going to be on Broadway. It's insane!"

Rachel pulled back and smiled at him. "We should go out to celebrate! Did you tell Kurt yet?"

"Yeah. He took me out last night after I found out."

"He should still join us. Come on, we'll go to Sardi's to celebrate. There is no place more suitable for good news about Broadway."

Blaine nodded in agreement. "That sounds like fun. I'll call Kurt and tell him to meet us there." He went to his bedroom and Rachel turned back to Finn.

"It's exciting, isn't it? Blaine has worked so hard and now he's going to be on Broadway."

"Yeah, that's great." Finn's smile was weak and he didn't look her in the eye.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, moving to sit next to him.

He shrugged and looked straight at the TV. "I just feel a little guilty."

She ran her fingers through his hair, entwining her other hand with his. "What for?"

His head swiveled around and he stared at her with a hard jaw. "If I hadn't gotten you pregnant, we might be celebrating _you_ getting a part."

"Hey, Finn, do not feel guilty." She placed her hands on his cheeks and forced his head back in her direction. "I love you and I love our baby and Broadway will always be there. Someday I will get my part and when I do, you _and_ our baby will be there to celebrate. I don't regret making this baby, and I know you don't either, so there is no reason to feel guilty." She kissed him softly, pressing her forehead against his. "And besides, if I hadn't gotten pregnant, we probably would never have started dating because I'm so stubborn."

"Yeah, you are pretty stubborn. But I like that about you." He looked into her eyes. "I like everything about you, _love_ everything about you, even the crazier bits."

"At least you know our relationship will never be dull with my theatric and lively personality full of exciting twists and turns."

He chuckled and pulled her close for a kiss. "If we're doing dinner at Sardi's, I suppose we should get ready."

After celebratory dinner, finally the double date Rachel had been dying to go on with Blaine and Kurt, the foursome found their way to Times Square to wander around.

Rachel had always loved Times Square. The Crossroads of the World was an apt description for the busiest section of the city she had loved before she knew what love was. She found most New Yorkers she knew hated the area as it was tourist central and always jammed, but for Rachel it was a Mecca.

The lights and signs advertising plays and musicals, movies and television, products she could one day hope to endorse – such as Candie's, she always loved their shoes and cute clothes – drew her in and fueled her passion for success. Someday her face and name would be stretched stories high above the people below, boasting her lead role in a Broadway show or her debut album cover. She'd work in a theatre nearby, adoring fans lining up by the stage door, begging for her autograph and throwing roses at her feet, before returning home to her own luxurious Upper East Side condo to her loving husband and perfect little boy or girl.

Someday that would be her life…if she ever plucked up the courage to suggest to Finn that they move in together and he decided to ask her to marry him. She was by no means ready for marriage yet, but down the line she knew she wanted Finn to be the man she called her husband. They still had so much to learn about the other and many hurdles to jump with the baby on the way, but once she knew they could do it all, she wanted to.

She caught Finn staring down at her as they sat on the red steps of the TKTS booth while they watched the world rush by them and smiled curiously. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

"You look so happy."

"I am happy." Rachel leaned into his side to snuggle and he squeezed her closer, pressing his cheek to the side of her head. "I love Times Square. It has all the parts of the city I love."

"You love tourists and traffic jams?"

Rachel chuckled. "No. I love the lights and the atmosphere. It's like the heart of the city; always beating. You can find anyone here, see so many stories. Plus, my favorite street goes right through it."

"Can we please leave now? I'm sick of these tourists. I need to get back to my apartment where no one with socks and sandals will ever set foot," Kurt griped as he and Blaine returned from M&M's World with bags of chocolate.

Rachel eyed the bags, sniffing for some chocolate. "You're free to leave any time. What kind of M&M's did you get?"

"You're like a bloodhound with that pregnancy sniffer." Blaine tugged out a bag stuffed full with mint M&M's and handed them over. "I knew if I returned empty handed there would be pregnant hell to pay. Don't say I never bought you anything. Those cost about three times the amount they would anywhere else."

"Thank you, favorite cousin of mine. I love you!" She grinned and popped a few pieces of the minty chocolate into her mouth. "Are you staying at Kurt's tonight or coming home?"

Blaine looked over at his boyfriend and shrugged. "Well, I'm kinda tired and Kurt's is closer…"

Finn and Rachel shared a knowing glance. "Okay. I'll see you when I see you, I guess." They said their farewells and Rachel stood to pull Finn to his feet. "I think we should follow their lead and head home."

He placed his hands on Rachel's hips and pulled her close, her bump pressing delicately against his abdomen, leaning down for a chaste kiss. "If you insist."

"I do." They began walking for the subway and Rachel chewed on her lip, running her thumb over the back of Finn's hand entwined in hers. "Finn?"

"Hmm?"

"How is your apartment coming along?"

Finn sighed in discontent. Clearly it wasn't going well. "It's one thing after another. Apparently rats have moved in and now they're trying to handle that. I think I may start looking for a new place or something because this place isn't really worth all the hassle."

Taking a deep breath and a big chance, Rachel swallowed and brushed some hair out of her eyes, glancing down and away from her boyfriend shyly. "Well, maybe we could look for one together…" she let the hint hang in the air between them.

Finn stopped them at the crosswalk as the signal changed and looked down at her. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "Like, for the both of us? To share?"

"It was just an idea." Rachel's expression saddened as she inferred from his behavior that he hated the idea. But it appeared she had read him wrong when he held her cheeks and kissed her abruptly with untamed abandon.

"You really want to move in with me? For real?"

She nodded softly, biting her lip gently as she stared down at where her bump was pressed against his body. "Yes. I've been thinking about it for a long time and I've wanted to talk to you about it but I was nervous."

"Why were you nervous?"

"I wasn't sure if you would want to live with me. It's a big step and would require both of us moving and I made such a stink before about taking this relationship slow to really get to know each other and now I'm the one suggesting we live together. The only men I've ever lived with were all gay. It would be a huge deal to live with a man who isn't related to me and is sexually attracted to my gender…specifically me."

"We're having a baby, that's a pretty big step."

"I know. Just because we're having a baby though and dating doesn't mean we have to live together."

"I want to. I love you, Rachel, and we're having a baby. It would be so much easier raising our kid together under one roof and we already spend nearly every night together anyway."

"Is the baby the only reason you want to live with me?" Rachel was growing worried that Finn was only agreeing for the benefit of their child. While that was great that he wanted to be the best dad he could by being around all the time, she wanted him to want to live with _her_ too.

"That's part of it, but I love you. I love waking up next to you every morning and fighting over the remote and watching you bake banana bread and singing around the apartment. When I'm with you, no matter where that may be, I feel like I'm home. You're my family," he placed his hands on her stomach, "both of you, and I would love nothing more than to create a space that's all ours."

Rachel's smile slowly built until she was grinning so bright she rivaled the lights surrounding them, throwing her arms around Finn and shaking him back and forth.

"You have made me the happiest girl in the world. I love you so much, Finn." She pressed her lips to Finn's and grabbed at his head, mauling him in her haste to show her affections.

"Wow," Finn said in a daze when Rachel pulled back for a breath, "if I had known moving would be this much of a turn on, I'd have done it sooner."

"I'm just thrilled at the prospect of getting you all to myself whenever I want, wherever I want. And then we can start planning the nursery finally. I've been debating themes with Kurt for weeks now but as there was nowhere to even put a nursery yet, we've been reluctant to settle," she rambled on.

Finn just smiled and shook his head as she crowed about the benefits of trains over cars as they continued on their way back to Rachel's.

They spent the next few days searching the classifieds for apartments and planning open houses to visit. When Rachel broke the news to Blaine, he was happy for her but concerned.

"What am I supposed to do for a roommate now? No one else knows my habits like you do."

"Perhaps Kurt wouldn't mind sharing with you." Rachel playfully quirked her eyebrows at him.

"We aren't there yet. We may spend a few nights together once in a while, but neither of us is ready to give up our space yet. I can't share a bathroom with a man I'm romantically involved with. That's just too weird."

"I grew accustomed to Finn's bathroom habits quite abruptly. He decided he just _had_ to go while I was in the shower. Stunk up the place to high heaven."

Blaine scrunched his nose in distaste. "I could have lived my entire life not knowing that."

"My point is, I'm comfortable with Finn and if I can stand him sneaking in to use the bathroom while I'm showering, I think that bodes well for our relationship in the future. That's how I know I'm ready."

"Because you're okay with him using the bathroom in front of you?" Blaine asked, not getting it.

"It's about the trust and the vulnerability. Some people are okay having sex with random partners but not everyone is okay being _that_ open in front of another person. It took my dads over a year to feel comfortable enough to even 'make wind' in front of the other." She chuckled and leaned her head on the back of the couch.

"I'm getting really uncomfortable discussing this."

"Okay, then let's discuss finding you a new roommate. Do you know anyone in need of an apartment?"

He shook his head until a light bulb went off. "I can check around the dorms. I overheard some people at the theatre talking about wanting to move out."

"That's a good idea! I'm sure you could find a lot of potential roommates there. If you want I could help you screen for one. It's the least I can do for leaving you."

"That would be helpful."

"I promise I will find you the best replacement roommate ever."

"Have you told your dads you're moving in with Finn yet?"

Rachel groaned and threw her head back. "No. I'm worried. I have no idea how they will react. They've warmed up to Finn considerably, but they're still of the opinion I don't need to rush things with him just because we're having a baby. I just don't want them to go berserk like they did when I told them I was pregnant."

"It's only because they love you and want to make sure you're making the best decisions for the future. I'm sure they'll support you."

"Fingers crossed."

As it turned out, they were surprisingly okay with it, albeit a little skeptical.

"We were wondering where you were going to put the baby. You couldn't share a room forever," her Dad said, taking a sip from his water.

Her Papa stared at her through narrowed eyes as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Are you positive you want to live with Finn? Moving in with a boyfriend for the first time is a big deal."

She nodded resolutely, "Absolutely. I love Finn, and he loves me, and he's the father of my child. It makes sense to live together to raise our baby and be the family we are."

"You really do love him, don't you?"

"Very much."

"Are you sure the feeling is mutual?"

"I had my doubts in the past of his affections for me, but I know now he's true. Finn loves me and cares more deeply for me than anyone else I know, besides you two of course." She smiled and gripped their hands across the kitchen table. "I know I'm making the right decision."

Her fathers shared a look. "If you're sure, then we support you. It is nice that you three will be under one roof. It's good when you have a partner to help right next to you. You have no idea how nice it is when you're dead tired and the baby starts crying for a two am feeding and your husband says he'll get it," Leroy explained, reminiscing in rearing Rachel.

"It will be nice to have someone to share the load with. I just hope the baby will be good with sleeping through the night. I need my beauty sleep."

Both men laughed as if in on a private joke. "Good luck with that, sweetie. Chances are you won't get decent sleep for the first ten years."

"Carole said Finn slept through the night almost from the day he was born. He still sleeps that way. Sometimes when he's awake he's asleep."

"That may be, but that baby is half yours. Until you were about three you would always wake up and make noise. You've always been vocal."

"So far this baby seems to take after Finn. I wouldn't be surprised if he or she is a little copy of him." She caught sight of the time on the microwave clock. "Wow, it's already eight?" She was surprised that she had spent so long at her dads'. "I should get going. I have work in the morning and Finn is probably concerned I'm not home yet."

Her dads stood up and Leroy grabbed the keys off the hook. "We'll take you. It'll be faster than the train."

Back at Rachel's apartment, Finn was trying not to worry that he hadn't heard from Rachel in hours. She was only supposed to be going to her dads' for lunch but it had been well past lunch and dinner.

"What the hell is taking Rachel so long? She's been gone since ten this morning."

"When she and her dads get to gabbing sometimes there's no stopping them. Plus, if she's telling them you're moving in together, chances are they're trying to convince her not to and they're arguing."

"I wish she would have let me go with her. I could have backed her up."

Blaine shrugged before crying in victory at winning yet another game on Madden '13. "She's a big girl. If anyone can handle her dads, it's Rachel. Now stop worrying about Rachel and get your head in the game. I'm sick of winning so easily."

Just as they started the next game, a key unlocking the door could be heard behind them. Finn turned to see Rachel walk into the apartment and sighed in relief. He paused the game, earning ire from Blaine, and stood to greet Rachel.

"Finally. I was getting worried."

"Sorry, I didn't realize how long we were talking. I did send you a text saying I was on my way home."

"I guess I missed it." He pulled Rachel close in a hug and pressed a kiss to her soft lips. "How did they take the news?"

"Surprisingly, well. They were a little hesitant but they agreed that living together would be beneficial for raising the baby."

"Wow, I was not expecting that."

Rachel grinned and took his hands in hers. "You've grown on them." She kissed him again and yawned as she pulled away. Now that she was home, her long day was catching up with her. "Sorry."

"Why don't you go to bed? I'll be in after I finish my game."

"Just because I go to sleep at nine every night doesn't mean you need to. You have tomorrow off, stay up and play if you want to."

"Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow in question. Usually when they went to bed together, it meant more than just sleeping.

Rachel tilted her head back, knowing what he was getting at. She wrapped her arms around Finn's waist and looked up at him. "I'm sure I'll be up again sometime during the night. I usually am. I'll wake you up, if you'd like?"

"Do you really have to ask?" he asked cheekily. They both chuckled and he kissed her hotly before she slipped out of his arms.

"Goodnight, Finn. Goodnight, Blaine," she added when she noticed the back of his head.

Finn watched her go down the hallway until she was in her room and the door was closed. He sat back on the couch and Blaine restarted the game. "Thank God for noise cancelling headphones."

Finn snorted and shook his head in disbelief. "You're one to talk. Now, get ready to get your ass kicked."

About two hours later, Finn was in the process of winning his second game, when a loud cry sounded down the hallway. Jumping into immediate action, Finn threw his controller across the room and fell off the couch with a thud as his foot caught in the blanket on the floor. Righting himself quickly, Finn rushed down the hall and burst through the bedroom door and flicked on the light to find Rachel in bed, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed heavily. When she saw Finn striding toward her, Rachel sat up on her knees and clutched at his t-shirt when he held her in his arms.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter? Are you okay, is the baby okay?" Panic was beginning to seep into his thoughts. What if the baby was in distress? What if Rachel was going into premature labor? What if she was miscarrying?

She pressed her face further into his chest. "I'm okay, the baby is fine. I think I scared her awake when I screamed because she started kicking like crazy. I just…I had a nightmare."

Finn sighed in relief. "You're sure? You aren't having any cramping or bleeding or anything?" He ran his hand over her stomach but didn't feel any movement.

"No, I feel fine physically. She calmed down now."

The couple both looked toward the door as a knock caught their attention. "Everything alright? Do I need to call 911?" Blaine asked, worry in his voice.

Finn shook his head. "Just a nightmare. They're both okay. We just need a minute." Blaine nodded and closed the door as he left. Finn turned back to Rachel, still crying but not nearly as heavily, and helped her back into a comfortable position on the bed. He held her close and ran his hand over her back soothingly. "What was your dream about?"

Rachel sniffled before grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose obnoxiously loud. "I changed my mind, Finn. I want to know the sex."

"That was your nightmare?" Finn asked with uncertainty. It seemed like an extreme reaction to something fairly trivial.

She wiped her nose again. "No…I changed my mind because of my nightmare. I dreamed that I lost the baby and I never got to know if it was a boy or a girl and you left me because you hated me for keeping us from knowing. I felt so empty and heartbroken. I don't care about the surprise. I want to know now if we're having a son or daughter and I don't want you to resent me for keeping us in the dark. I don't ever want to feel that giant hole in my chest."

Finn's heart broke as Rachel looked at him through her tear filled eyes, fear reflecting back in them. He brushed his hand over her hair, moving it away from her face. "Rachel, I could never resent you. I'm not going anywhere. I love you and our baby, whether we find out the sex now or when the baby is born. And we're not going to lose the baby. The doctor said you're both super healthy and if there are any problems, Dr. Pearl will do everything she can to make sure you both come through it."

"But what if I went into labor now? The baby is still so small and has so much more growing to do."

Finn held her face in his hands to comfort her. "You're past 23 weeks now. Our baby could survive out of the womb now and I know they would because our baby is strong and a fighter like their mom. But like their dad, chances are they'll want to stay warm and cozy in there for as long as possible. Honestly, it's a sweet deal in there. Free meals, free rent, get to be naked all day…it's the life."

Rachel chuckled and closed her eyes, turning into his palm and resting her hand over his, pressing her lips to his skin. "I love you."

"I love you too…I love you both." He lowered his head and lifted Rachel's shirt to kiss the swell of her belly. "Are you okay? Can you tell your subconscious to stop thinking such sad things? I'm never leaving you and our baby is gonna be healthy and the cutest little baby in all of New York City…all of New York State…the whole country, world, universe!" he crowed energetically, making Rachel giggle again.

"I'm sure she will be with how handsome her father is."

"Nah," he replied self-deprecatingly, "I think our baby is gonna be cute because of her mom."

Rachel smiled greatly and kissed him softly. "If you're trying to earn points, you're up by quite a few."

"No points, just stating a fact." He kissed her again and Rachel's tiny hands gripped his t-shirt to pull him down over her. Her chest heaved as his hand began sliding up her torso to hold her breast. He stopped however to pull back with questioning eyes. "Are you sure you want to know the sex now? You were so sure you wanted to wait."

Rachel seemed to take a moment to seriously contemplate his question before nodding. "It was what I wanted initially. As great as it would be to wait, I'm ready to know. We'll be more prepared in the long run."

"If it's what you really want…" Finn could not keep up with Rachel's hormone driven changes of opinion.

She nodded firmly, resolute in her decision. "It is."

Just as Finn was about to admit he already knew the sex, Rachel spoke again. "And now we can tell people what to buy for the shower."

Suddenly an idea hit him. "Do you still want a surprise?"

Rachel scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"You wanted to wait because of the surprise factor, right? What if we could find out the sex and prepare for it, but you could still be surprised by it?"

"I don't know how we could have both."

"Well, it's a surprise. I can't tell you."

Rachel eyed him narrowly, suspiciously. "What are you thinking?"

"Just hold off on finding out until the right time."

"How will I know the right time?"

"Just trust me. Can you promise me you'll wait until the right moment?"

"Finn, I'm not sure about whatever you're concocting…"

Finn swiped his finger over her nose. "Have some faith, babe. I promise I will take care of everything."

She was still highly confused by what was saying but decided to give him the benefit of faith. If her nightmare told her anything, without some give and take and mutual trust, their relationship would never work in the long term.

"Okay, but I don't want to wait too much longer. I'll need to know to plan the shower with Kurt and your mother."

Finn's eyes shifted away from her before rolling off to lie next to her. His arms were beginning to hurt from holding himself up. "Kurt and my mom can handle it all, I'm sure. You should just relax."

"How can I relax? This is a major event. Do you realize how many family members I have to invite to this thing? Invitations need to go out soon and we haven't even settled on a theme yet. None of us can agree on anything."

"Which is why you should just let Kurt and my mom take care of it. You have enough on your plate without planning your own party. We're still looking for a bigger apartment and planning the nursery blind, and you've taken on more responsibility at the restaurant. I don't want you to overload yourself. Dr. Pearl said to keep your stress level down. And really, who plans their own baby shower? I always thought other people did it in honor of the mom?"

"I've always planned all my own parties. I'm very particular about what I want. And it really isn't a party for me, it's for Baby. It's the first proper party she'll ever have and I want it to be perfect."

Finn leaned closer as if to whisper a secret, "Rach, she won't even be there."

"I will be there, therefore she will be there."

Finn rolled his eyes liberally. "But she won't have any clue where she is." He ran his hand over her stomach. "Rach, just let go of the reins this one time. Please?"

She pursed her lips and pouted before giving in to his pleading puppy dog eyes. Damn those eyes! She sighed dramatically and folded her hands over top of his. "Fine. I will stand down. But I will not relinquish the nursery. That is mine to obsess over. However, I will allow you to paint. Step ladders and pregnancy should not mix."

"Oh boy, can I?" he replied with giddy sarcasm.

"You can! Isn't it exciting?!" she chuckled and turned onto her side to face him easier. "I still like the butterflies for a girl and trains for a boy."

"I like the butterflies, but I think we should go with a football theme for a boy. They have a ton of Giants stuff I found online."

"No. There's no guarantee our son, should we have one, will even like football. Trains-"

"How do you know he'd like trains? Maybe he'll hate trains."

"He better not because once he arrives, we're going to be taking the subway more often. I can't afford cabs all the time."

"But why trains? Trains are lame."

"Trains are not lame!" she scoffed bitterly. "When I was little, my Uncle Jeremiah – that's my Dad's brother – would always take my cousins and I to various hobby shops throughout New Jersey and the time and effort put into creating the little models always fascinated me. I've had a fondness for trains ever since. Plus, imagine our little boy in a conductor's uniform! It would be adorable!"

"That would be cute. It's like when little kids are dressed as old people. It's hilarious. But I still think trains are lame."

Rachel did not look amused. "And what would you prefer…_other_ than the Giants?" she asked, cutting him off before he could say it again.

He shrugged. "I kinda liked this teddy bear theme I saw online. I had this teddy bear my dad sent me from Iraq. He had on army fatigues. I took him everywhere with me when I was little. After my grandma's dog ripped him in half, my mom had no choice but to throw him away. I was so upset, but I replaced him with my Gee-Ge. It was the baby blanket my dad got me when I was born. There's not much left of that now either. I never forgot that bear though."

"Did he have a name?"

"Bear." Finn smiled, happy memories filling him to the brim with joy. "I didn't know many words when I first named him."

"That's sweet, Finn. Teddy bears would be cute. Do you know where the teddy bear gets its name?"

"A guy named Teddy?"

"How very astute of you, Finn. It was named after Theodore Roosevelt. While on a hunting trip, he showed mercy to a bear his friends had trapped. They had to put it down, but he did it humanely as opposed to shooting it unsportsmanlike while it was trapped. There was a political cartoon of it calling it 'Teddy's Bear' and they started producing the toy under the name Teddy Bear. That's one of the reasons Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president."

"You have a favorite president?"

"Of course! Don't you?"

"Uh…I've never really thought about it."

"Then think about it." His girlfriend looked at him expectantly like she wanted him to think about it in that second.

"Um…I guess…Abraham Lincoln? He was tall and had that sweet hat and beard."

"Is that the only reason? What about freeing the slaves and preserving the Union?"

"That stuff is cool too."

"So I suppose it's safe to say you don't have a favorite British Prime Minister?"

Finn snorted and shook his head. "Babe, I don't even _know_ any British Prime Ministers."

She sighed and kissed the tip of his nose. "I suppose this means I'll have to save my international relations talk for my fathers. It's a good thing you're so cute and cuddly."

"And here I was thinking you loved me for my squishy thoughts maker thing. Glad to know you only love me for my looks…" he played with her.

Rachel kissed him gently, slipping her fingers into his hair. "I love you because you're sweet and kind and caring. You put everyone before yourself – minus that night we pretend didn't happen – you support me and believe in me. You keep me sane…when you aren't the cause of my insanity. You do so many things for me it would take weeks to list all the reasons I love you."

Before she could say another word, Finn crushed his lips to Rachel's, pressing her back into the pillows. "I love you, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving it to you. I promise." He stared deeply into Rachel's love filled, gentle, chocolate eyes and that's when he felt a shift in his universe.

Finn didn't just love Rachel. What he felt for her was beyond mere words and impossible to describe. He had to have her in every way, and was going to do so by taking another huge life altering leap.

Finn was going to make the mother of his child his wife…if she would agree to have him as her husband.


	18. The Shower

He stared into what seemed the thousandth glittering glass case, the frustration building to intense levels he was certain he'd never felt before.

"How is it I can be so sure of the woman I love, the woman I want to _marry_, but I can't even choose a damn ring to show that certainty?" Finn dropped his head down onto the glass and began lightly pounding his forehead against it, earning the ire and disapproving sneer of the salesman behind the counter.

Kurt put his hand on Finn's shoulder and squeezed for comfort and solidarity. "You're putting too much pressure on yourself. Rachel will love whatever ring you end up choosing."

He picked his head up, to the stuffy salesman's relief, and faced his brother. "But what if she doesn't? What if she hates what I pick and laughs in my face for even thinking she would like what I pick?" What if she decides she wants something better than what I can give?"

Sensing there was a deeper issue plaguing Finn's thoughts and making this shopping experience full-on hell – a feat not easily achieved for Kurt – he crossed his arms over his chest and eyed his brother. "Finn? This isn't about the ring, is it?"

"Of course it is," he replied uncertainly.

Kurt leveled him with a hard stare.

"I just love her so much and if I propose and she doesn't say yes…" He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Finn, from the outside your romance with Rachel may seem whirlwind and rushed but deep down, I know this romance with Rachel is greater than that. I've known you for a long time and in that time I've never known you to love this strong and this intensely. And on Rachel's end, we've had a few lady chats and she's definitely mentioned marriage on multiple occasions. She loves you and wants to build a life with you. I'm not saying get hitched tomorrow, but I see nothing wrong with getting engaged. I know Rachel will say yes because when it comes to the man she loves, there is no one better." He gave him a soft smile and Finn felt slightly more at ease.

"Did she really say she wanted to marry me?"

Kurt nodded and turned back to the case. "She did. She was buying a few baby magazines and I caught her thumbing through a bridal one. I asked if she had something to tell me and she said not yet, but she wouldn't be averse to telling me something after the baby is born."

Finn breathed deeply and turned back to the case, speaking under his breath, "You can do this. You've done it before."

"Done it before? You've engagement ring hunted before?" Kurt cocked an eyebrow at him.

His eyes shifted to the smaller man and he swallowed hard. "Uh, no. I just meant jewelry shopping."

"Well, this is a tad bit more important. So let's hunker down and find the perfect ring! I know we can do it! Did you try Tiffany's yet? Or Harry Winston?"

Finn scoffed. "I can't afford to shop at either of those stores. I've seen the price tags on the jewelry Burt has gotten for Mom. I'm about to have a baby and we're looking for a bigger apartment…I can't start my life with Rachel in debt."

"I know we could find something in your price range. Hell, they could probably just put the ring on Dad's account."

Finn sighed and gripped the edge of the case. "I don't want Burt paying for Rachel's engagement ring. _I_ want to pay for it. Would you have Burt pay for a ring for Blaine?"

"I'm just saying, he'd probably treat it like a loan."

"This is just something I want to do myself."

Kurt shook his head. "How long have you been looking for a ring?"

"A few weeks?"

"A few we-" Kurt rubbed his temples. "You should have called me much sooner. Thank God I decided to go costume jewelry shopping today. Okay," he pressed his hands flat on the glass and pushed away, "we're done here. We're going big."

"Kurt, I can't afford-"

Kurt rolled his eyes and dragged Finn out of the store and raised his hand for a cab. "Before this day is over, we will have a ring."

As it turned out, Kurt would be right. But not in the way either expected. They spent hours at Tiffany's and Harry Winston and to Finn's disappointment he couldn't even get a snack at Tiffany's. As they sat in the café Kurt suggested for lunch, Finn commented on their abysmal shopping experience.

"Maybe I should just go with that round one from Tiffany's. It was shiny and bright and big, like Rachel."

"Especially lately," Kurt muttered. Finn stared through narrow eyes at his brother. "What? She's carrying your giant spawn. It was bound to happen."

Finn continued to stare through narrow eyes at him. "You're lucky Rachel isn't here."

Kurt brushed him off and took another sip of his coffee. "I preferred the Harry Winston rings."

"I _really_ can't afford those. I mostly just let you drag me there to shut you up. I can't even afford that one I liked at Tiffany's."

"Have you asked Rachel's input?"

"No. I wanted to do it myself." The last time he got a woman jewelry with her input he ended up in debt for years and completely humiliated. He didn't want that to happen again; he couldn't afford for it to happen again with a baby on the way.

"Don't be afraid to ask her input. That way you know you'll pick the right ring."

"But then she'll know. I don't want her to know until I'm ready. I have more to settle before I can propose."

Kurt scrunched his eyebrows. "What do you have to settle?"

He swallowed thickly again, shifty eyes making Kurt suspicious. "Well, uh, Rachel and I are still looking for an apartment and she's already got enough on her plate with the pregnancy and planning the nursery, and she's been bugging me about finding out the sex and _still_ keeps trying to give her input on the shower even though she promised she would back off and let us handle it. I don't want to add planning a wedding to her list of things to do."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind adding wedding planning to her list."

"Please, don't tell her, Kurt. I'm not ready for her to know yet."

"Fine, I'll just keep the conversation to how you're keeping the sex from her."

"She said she wanted a surprise so I'm giving her one yet telling her too."

"You don't think she'll be mad that _everyone_ knows the sex before her?"

"I think she'll be more excited to have a party for her and free stuff."

Kurt shook his head in disbelief, taking a bite of his wrap. "I can't believe she hasn't learned from someone. You put the sex on the invitations."

"I also put that if anyone told Rachel they were uninvited and I would kill them."

Kurt didn't look impressed. "Or it could be everyone has been too busy and annoyed with Rachel's incessant posts on Facebook requesting answers."

"Well, she doesn't have to wait much longer."

The next morning, Finn had a meeting with Burt and the realtor he'd been working with. It was impromptu and cut into Finn and Rachel's mid-morning nap, but Burt had insisted he'd want to see the place they found. Finn went alone as once the phone finished ringing Rachel fell asleep again and smacked him in the face when he attempted to rouse her once more.

Coffee in hand, he arrived at the location Burt had texted but couldn't understand why his step-father thought he and Rachel would be able to afford an Upper West Side brownstone. Burt and Alan stood outside the building.

"Is this a cruel joke? Burt, you know the budget Rachel I have to work with and unless Rachel starts making six or seven figures on Broadway like next week, we could never afford a brownstone."

"Just get your ass in the place!" Burt called, waving him up the stairs.

As they walked in, Alan began telling him the specs of the property. Five bedrooms on three floors, two and a half bathrooms – one in the master bedroom – a basement apartment, a small backyard, plus washer and dryer hookups. "Do you need more convincing or would you like to look around?"

Finn was in awe of the building, truly. It was huge and beautiful and seemed a perfect location to raise a family, but they could never afford it. A place like this to own had to cost a few million dollars and to rent it would still be a few grand a year out of their range.

"It sounds fantastic, honestly, and if I had a few million dollars on me, I'd take it right now, but I haven't exactly reached Emeril levels of success yet at the restaurant."

"Lucky for you, I have a few million to spare," Burt cut in. "I'm buying this place."

Finn's mouth fell open in shock. There was no way he could let Burt buy him and Rachel a multimillion dollar brownstone. "Burt, I can't let you buy me a house! I need to take care of Rachel and me on my own. We can live-"

"I'm not giving it to you for free."

Now Finn was even more confused. "Then why did you bring me here?"

"Because I need a tenant to rent this place to." Finn raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "You've been searching for weeks with no luck because either you or Rachel hate the place or love it and can't afford it, so I thought I'd help out. As my baby gift to you both, I'm going to let you rent this place for the combined cost of what you and Rachel currently pay at your apartments. You need a place to raise your kid together where you all can have a little room to grow."

Finn's eyes watered at the generosity of his step-father. It was hard to believe that Burt loved him and Rachel enough to buy a house for them to live in. He really didn't want charity; he wanted to prove to his family, to Rachel, to himself that he could be a good provider on his own. But how could he turn down a deal as great as the one being offered him? He would have to pay rent anywhere he lived, which would most likely be an apartment the size of Rachel's, but with Burt as his landlord he'd be getting a much bigger space for little more than he was paying now.

"Burt, I don't know what to say. You really do not need to do this."

"I know I don't, but you're my son and there's nothing wrong with accepting a little help every now and then. God knows I wouldn't be where I am without a few people looking out for me. And property is usually a good investment."

"I don't know how I can ever repay you or-or thank you enough."

"You can thank me by paying your rent on time…and your own utilities." He patted him on the back and they separated, shaking hands in agreement.

"Rachel is never going to believe this!"

"Once you've settled in I'm sure she'll get used to the idea." Burt clapped him on the shoulder again. "Perhaps once she gets her big break on Broadway and your restaurant reaches Emeril levels and you both start bringing in the big bucks you'll be able to buy this place from me and own it yourself." He shrugged. "Wanna look around?"

"Yeah, let's do it!"

When they thoroughly explored the property, Finn thanked Alan and Burt again while Burt got busy on the paperwork end.

"Oh Finn, before you head home to get ready for the party, your mother wants to have a private word with you. She said it's important."

"Probably something about the party."

"I don't know. She didn't say. Just told me to deliver the message."

Finn departed and when he arrived to his parents' house, Carole engulfed her son in a tight hug and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He could hear movement in the living room, most likely Kurt and his assembled team of Stella, Blaine, and one of the best party planners in Manhattan setting up for the baby shower that afternoon. Carole tugged him in the opposite direction toward the den for some privacy.

"I've been waiting for this day since you were born."

Once again, Finn found himself in a state of confusion. "For a baby shower?"

"No, to give you this…" She pulled a velvet box out of her pocket and opened it.

"Wow, Mom, you're married and that's illegal. I love you, but not that way," he joked with her, earning a scoff and a shove to the shoulder.

"Kurt told me you were looking at engagement rings and I was a little offended you didn't come to me."

"I didn't want anyone to know yet," he grunted, annoyed that Kurt had betrayed his trust and told his mother.

"Oh, don't be upset. Kurt tried very hard to hide it from me but I twisted his arm. If you had come to me first, I could have given this to you sooner and possibly caused a lot less headache for you."

Finn finally looked down at the ring and noticed it was the engagement ring his father had given her. She had worn it every day, whether on her finger or on a chain while at work, until she and Burt decided to get serious. "Mom, I can't take this ring. It's yours."

She shook her head and thrust it into his hand. "Not anymore. Now it's yours."

"But Dad-"

"I love your father, even still, 24 years later. And I will always love this ring. But I don't need it to remember him, to love him. It sits in my jewelry box collecting dust and that's not where it should be. Jewelry is meant to be worn and nothing would make me happier than to see this ring on the finger of the woman you love, on Rachel. I know if your father were still here he would agree with me."

For the second time that day, Finn felt tears well in his eyes and he pulled his mother into a hug. "I love you, Mom. Thank you."

"No need to thank me. It's my job as your mother. And we all love Rachel. We want to see you two happily married, preferably before you give me another grandchild." She chuckled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Just because I know you're planning on proposing doesn't mean I'm going to blab. I didn't even tell Burt or Kurt that I'm giving my ring to you. And how could you think I would tell? I haven't told Rachel the sex despite her calling me at all hours of the day in an effort to break me down and trick me into telling. I've got an iron trap when I want one."

"It's not that I didn't trust you. I was just trying to keep it a surprise. The only reason Kurt got involved was because he caught me shopping in the diamond district."

"And even with his help, _I'm_ the one who found you the ring." She poked him in the chest. "Just a suggestion, but perhaps you should wait until after Rachel has had the baby and lost her baby weight. Her fingers have swelled and you don't want to size the ring wrong and distress her."

"I actually was planning to wait. I don't want to add anything more to her plate. Plus, it will give me more time to plan a perfect proposal." _And figure my shit out_ he added to himself.

After a short visit to the living room to see how the decorating was coming, Finn left the apartment to head back downtown. He'd have just enough time to change for the party to hop right back onto a train going uptown with Rachel in tow.

When he arrived home, Rachel was in her room wearing only her underwear, three outfits laid out on the bed in front of her. She tapped her foot as she tilted her head and placed her hands on her hips, not even aware of Finn's presence.

"I like the outfit you're wearing right now the best," Finn said cheekily, causing Rachel to spin around quickly.

"Unfortunately for you, this isn't a Victoria's Secret event. I must wear clothes." She spun back around and placed her hands on her protruding belly, rubbing it gently. "I can't decide what to wear."

Finn stepped further into the bedroom and came up behind Rachel, placing his chin on her shoulder and his hands over hers. On the bed there was a pale pink dress with short puffy pleated sleeves and a high rounded neck, a pale blue dress with a squared neck and a ruched wrap around the bust, and a third plumb dress with a small v-neck and long chiffon sleeves.

"Rachel, if this is an attempt to get me to tell you the sex…"

She turned in his arms and placed her hands on his shoulder, pouting deeply. "I just want to match whatever theme is planned."

"Go with the purple dress. It's more stylish for the fall."

"How would you know what's stylish for the fall? You wear the same thing year round."

"I was with you when Kurt made you buy that dress. He said plum is a fall color and it would look nice with black tights and your kitten heels though stilettos would be better but he'll let it go since you're pregnant and he doesn't want you to fall and hurt yourself or the baby."

Rachel raised an eyebrow questioningly. "You remember all that?"

"I'm not completely oblivious. Just mostly." They both chuckled and Rachel turned back to her choices, sighing.

"I suppose the plum will work." She shooed him away. "Go get dressed. I just need to put my clothes on and I'll be ready."

On the way up to his parents' place, Rachel continued her barrage of questioning. "Is it a girl?" Finn showed no response. "Finn! I've been waiting for over a month, over seven months if you span my entire pregnancy."

"I think you can wait a little longer to find out. I promise you will know by the end of the day."

Rachel huffed and crossed her arms over her chest in aggravation. She couldn't fathom how Finn had been able to keep everyone he told from divulging any information to her about the baby's sex. Even her own fathers, the men who raised her, were on Finn's side on this issue.

"At least the decorations should be a giveaway," Rachel mused. Finn just smirked and didn't say a word.

To her utter disappointment, when Rachel walked into the living room at the Hummel residence, she saw neither pink nor blue decorations but pink _and_ blue.

"Surprise!" Finn chimed as he came up behind her.

"Surprise? What's the surprise? How can I tell if it's a boy or a girl with pink _and_ blue decorations?!" While the theme was adorable – little zoo animals reminiscent of the baby book she had chosen – it did not favor one gender over the other.

"That's the surprise. You'll find out at the end."

Rachel did not look happy but when Tina walked over to say hello, she put on a smile and promptly went about ignoring Finn.

The party was mixed company and for the most part didn't even feel like a baby shower. The men at the party stood around talking about sports and the women split into various groups that vied for Rachel's attention. Even a few children were in attendance.

That didn't stop the games from being more on the adult side however when Kurt finally gained everyone's attention.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to Baby Berry-Hudson's baby shower!" Kurt clapped his hands and got a few other people to join him. "To start off the festivities, I'm just going to ask everyone to grab an envelope and put your address on it so Rachel and Finn can send you all some thank you cards and grab a bingo board. Fill it out with all the items you think Baby Berry-Hudson will be getting today, then feel free to socialize until we get all the games set up."

"Games?" Rachel inquired.

"Of course games. We have some that both sexes will enjoy. I _know_ Puckerman will enjoy Bobbing for Nipples and Sippy Cup Shot-Gunning."

"What's Sippy Cup Shot-Gunning?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and jutted his hip out. "A game your boyfriend insisted on when Jeanette made the mistake of mentioning it. Basically you fill a sippy cup with beer and whoever can finish it first wins. Finn thought it would keep the guys entertained."

"He would think that was a good idea."

Rachel noticed the list Kurt had in his hands of games and borrowed it to see which she would be able to participate in. As she giggled at some of the more clever ideas, the condo started filling with family and friends until everyone that had been invited had arrived. Rachel had hoped the gift wrapping would give a clue to the sex, but it seemed everyone had gone with neutral paper or bags. Maybe that was why Rachel hadn't received an answer from anyone about the sex. They must not have known either. She thought for sure with the information out there it would have spread easily.

The whole event seemed to fly by in a flash once all the guests had arrived. They feasted on finger foods, complete with chocolate fountain which Rachel had claimed as hers, and played games which ended in raucous belly laughs. Watching Finn and Puck drink from sippy cups while they raced was adorable and hilarious and after Finn had won, a bib with the word 'champion' written on it was draped around his neck. Puck made a joke about how it was a preview of what would be coming out of Rachel in a few short months and as she laughed, she felt the baby kick her insides.

After Santana kicked ass at Bobbing for Nipples, claiming her victory was inevitable as she knew how to handle nipples better than any man, they took a break from the hands on activities and played a matching game in teams. First it was baby animal names with their correct adult counterparts then celebrity baby photos.

By the time their current game, Balloon Belly, was nearing its end Rachel was quite hungry and beginning to get very tired.

"And we have a winner!" Kurt crowed. "Sam Evans with 33 balloons. Well, done Sam. How did you fit that many balloons under your shirt?"

Sam went to speak but Puck cut him off. "He probably stuffed a few in that gullet of his. He's like a fucking pelican."

"Watch it, Puckerman! That's my man you're talking about," Mercedes warned before showing her husband how much she loved his large lips.

"You two really are a perfectly matched couple. You both have big mouths."

Mercedes picked up the doll for the Baby Changing Relay and hurled it at Puck's head. "At least neither of us keeps a dead squirrel on our head and calls it a hairstyle."

"Ooh, low blow Mercedes."

Quinn chuckled quietly. "I told you your hair is getting too long. Would it kill you to at least trim it? Or shave it off completely?"

Puck turned to his wife. "Babe, I came out of the womb with this badass Mohawk. Ain't no way I'm getting rid of it."

"You did for our wedding."

"Only because you threatened to keep that chastity belt on if I didn't."

"Oh how romantic," Mercedes replied with thick sarcasm.

"Yeah, and Sam dancing around to Justin Bieber is totally romance novel worthy."

While Mercedes and Puckerman bickered back and forth, Quinn laughing discreetly at the exchange, Rachel waddled her way over to Finn who was still standing around with the balloons under his shirt.

He patted his balloon belly and smiled at her. "I'm sorry to spring it on you like this, but I'm pregnant. Looks like we're having twins," Finn joked.

Rachel chuckled and bumped her belly against his. "We should alert the media. A pregnant man is quite the feat."

"There's been a pregnant man already."

"But he was born with female reproductive organs. It would be seriously scientifically miraculous for a man with only male reproductive organs to produce a child. They'd study you like a lab rat."

She pressed her body closer to his and all the balloons spilled out from under his shirt, scattering about their feet. Finn's hands fell to Rachel's waist and she draped her arms over his shoulders. "I'm hungry and so is our…" she trailed off hinting at an answer.

"I'm not telling you. You'll find out shortly."

Rachel pouted dramatically and stomped her foot. "Finn," she whined.

"Let's go eat." Finn took her hand and led her to the dining room. He announced to the rest of their guests that the food was ready and there was a mad dash to the table.

Dozens of dishes littered the table, and by the time Rachel sat with her meal, her plate contained a little of them all.

"Kurt really went all out," she said before stuffing a forkful of pasta in her mouth.

"I just wanted to cover all my bases," he replied as he sat next to her. "Your appetite changes so often, I didn't want to settle on one dish and have you hate it."

Rachel grinned appreciatively. "That was great foresight, Kurt. Thank you." She gorged herself until she fell asleep against Finn's shoulder. Despite her mid-party nap, the soiree continued on around her. She slept for about 30 minutes until her bladder woke her and she realized she had nodded off. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I fell asleep," Rachel whispered into Finn's shoulder in embarrassment. He just chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"It's fine. Everyone knows you get sleepy easier now. And you aren't the only one who passed out." He pointed toward Tina who was asleep in an armchair. "Pregnancy is exhausting."

"You don't even know the half of it."

"Oh good, you're awake. Now we can get to the gifts!" Kurt squealed. He pulled Rachel to her feet and tried to lead her to a decked out rocker labeled 'Mom-To-Be'.

"Kurt, I need to pee first."

He groaned but let her go. Then an idea hit him. Chances were he'd have a solid five minutes before she would return, there was a great possibility he could pull it off. "Everyone! I need you to tell me which gifts are yours and what you got!"

When Rachel finally returned, Kurt was flushed from his task but betrayed nothing of what he'd done. He sat Rachel in the rocker and picked up a clipboard.

"Okay, Rachel, whenever you're ready." Kurt sat on an ottoman next to her, pen in hand ready to record everything.

She grabbed a small yellow and green bag, reading the tag. "This is from Amanda." She smiled at her friend from her group and thanked her before pulling out a little gift set of Johnson's baby wash. "Oh, this will come in very handy."

Kurt stifled a laugh and scribbled on his clipboard. Rachel raised her brow at him wondering what could be so funny, but brushed it off and moved on. Her first few gifts gave zero indication of which sex her baby was and she was beginning to get distressed. How was she supposed to learn if there were no clues to tell her?

As Kurt handed her the next gift, a large basket wrapped in pink and blue cello film, seeing it was from the Puckermans, Kurt grinned. Their gift was going to be a dead giveaway.

She tore the flimsy film apart to reveal a baby doll sized bassinet full of onesies and adorable little outfits. Rachel pulled little pale blue overalls with a red fire truck on the front pocket out of the basket. Tears filled her eyes as she searched for Finn in the group of friends and family. When her eyes landed on him, he was grinning like the Cheshire cat at her.

Rachel put the basket with the rest of the opened gifts and stood to move over to Finn. He met her in the middle and she hugged him so tight it nearly hurt. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at the man she loved, the father of her child – their son – and spoke quietly. "We're having a boy?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah. We're having a boy."

Rachel laughed and started to cry harder in happiness before yanking Finn's head down to kiss him. Their guests started awing and someone snapped a picture before Puck called out for them to get a room.

"They already did that," Sam called back earning a few laughs.

Finn and Rachel broke their kiss and couldn't wipe the smiles from their faces as Rachel turned to address the group.

"We're having a boy!" she yelled out in elation. They started clapping and Rachel looked back up at Finn who hadn't stopped staring down at her with pure love in his eyes. She started back for the rocker, pulling Finn along with her to sit in the chair next to her. She wiped the moisture from her eyes and asked Kurt for the next gift.

The remaining gifts were all for a baby boy and Rachel understood what Kurt had done. He'd saved all the clues for the end for maximum surprise. But as she accepted her final gift, a top of the line stroller from her dads, a thought popped into her head.

"All of these gifts are fabulous and I love them all, but how did everyone know we were having a boy? I thought only Finn, Carole, Kurt, and my fathers knew."

Tina answered, "It was on the invitation."

"But I saw the invites…"

"Finn added that it was a boy and not to tell you under penalty of party blacklisting because he wanted it to be a surprise for you."

She looked at Finn for confirmation. "Everyone knew before me?"

"I wanted to surprise you still. You knew I was planning this for one sex or the other."

"I'm the last one to know my own baby's sex?" Finn could hear the waterworks building in her voice.

Finn and Kurt shared a glance and he could swear his brother was telling him 'I-told-you-so' with his eyes. He rubbed Rachel's back soothingly. "You said you wanted to be surprised-"

"Yes, but I didn't want to be the last one to know. I wanted to surprise everyone else." She stood from the rocking chair and stormed off to the upstairs.

Finn sighed and dropped his head. Would he ever stop pissing Rachel off? He followed her upstairs and found her lying in his bed, staring at the wall.

"Rachel-"

She sat up and grinned at him wolfishly. "Come here."

"Is this a trap?" Her hormones were really confusing him.

She rolled her eyes, but crooked her finger at him. He tentatively joined her on the bed and she tugged him down for a kiss.

"I have no idea what is going on," he mumbled against her lips.

"I decided to put my acting skills to use to get you alone. I knew no one but you would follow if I had a typical Rachel Berry storm out. I didn't want everyone knowing my real intentions."

"And what are those?" His breath hitched as her hand unbuttoned his pants.

"Let me show you." She slipped her lithe fingers around his swelling girth. Their mouths found each other again and she pushed his pants lower to release him. Impatient for his touch, Rachel pushed her tights and panties off and straddled his waist. "I hate to rush, but this needs to be quick. We have guests waiting."

She sank down on his cock, wiggling her hips into his, mewling as he filled her physically and emotionally. Rachel rode Finn's length until she was nearly screaming in passion. Her release forced Finn's and he emptied into her, his cock rock hard and hot inside her tight body. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as she squeezed every drop of cum from his body.

Rachel clutched his shirt and stilled her body, letting her heart hammer wildly against her ribs. The baby, her son, kicked and punched her uterine wall, reminding her he was there too. Finn placed his hand on her stomach to share in the sensation. "It's so hard to believe that our son is in here, kicking and growing."

Rachel bit her lip and folded her hands over his protectively. "I was so sure we were having a girl."

"You aren't mad it's a boy, are you?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. I love our baby, no matter the sex, or gender identity, or sexual orientation. He's our baby and that's all I care about."

Finn sat up and pressed his lips to hers. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"You aren't mad you were the last to know then?" he asked, unsure if he should bring it up again. He didn't want to upset her.

She shrugged. "It's mildly annoying, but I don't mind, really. I'm just so happy to know finally. Your plan was actually pretty smooth, Mr. Hudson. I'm impressed you managed to keep everyone silent for so long."

"It wasn't an easy task organizing everyone. I was sure someone would show up with obvious wrapping paper or give in to your Facebook pleas."

"Well, I applaud your six week secret keeping."

"I'm shocked you didn't go to Dr. Pearl to find out."

"I knew you had some kind of plan. I didn't want to spoil it."

"Yet you asked everyone on Facebook."

"I had a few moments of weakness. Sue me."

He chuckled and placed his hands on her hips to lift her off him and handed her a tissue to clean herself up. Tucking himself back into his pants, he got to his feet and turned around to find Rachel lounging on the bed rubbing her thighs together wantonly.

"Finn? Can you help me put my panties and tights back on?" She pouted sensually and Finn picked up her clothes, kneeling on the end of the bed and crawling toward her. He licked his lips and placed his hands on her knees, pushing them apart. Her sex was still swollen with arousal, her body wet with their cum. He pushed the material of her dress up her body and pushed her thighs further apart.

"Finn…you're supposed to be helping me get dressed." She didn't sound like she was ready to get dressed at all however. "Oh God!" she cried out as his tongue laved along her slit.

"I will help…after I have my way with you." He dipped his head back down, his lips wrapping softly around her swollen clit, tapping it with his tongue. Her hand fell to the back of his head pushing his mouth closer to her silky center.

"Finn…oh, fuck, fuck," Rachel whined, bucking her hips against his face. "More Finn, _more_!"

Finn pushed her legs up, her feet settling on his shoulders, his tongue slipping into her while his nose brushed her nub. Her body exploded, a rush of fire burning through her veins. She gushed hot and sticky into Finn's mouth, quenching his thirst for her body for the moment. He licked her clean then put her legs down, slipping her panties back on and helping her into her tights. He laid down next to her and pulled her close, kissing her slowly and sensually.

"We should get back downstairs."

"Can't we just stay here and take a nap?" Finn asked sleepily.

She ran her hand over his cheek. "Finn, we've been rude long enough. I need to thank everyone for our boy's gifts."

"'Kay." He kissed the tip of her nose and helped her out of bed. They both cleaned up to appear normal and descended back to the party.

"Are you two okay or is Finn sleeping on the couch?" Kurt queried as they re-entered the living room.

Rachel shrugged nonchalantly. "We're okay." Finn squeezed her hand. "Any other activities for us to do?"

"There is one left." He led her back to the rocker and called everyone's attention. "Everyone, we have another little, slightly naughty, treat for you." Kurt turned to Rachel, capturing everyone's attention. He took a deep breath and grabbed his clipboard. "Hey Rachel, little known fact…often when opening gifts at baby showers women say the same things they said while the baby was being made. Did you know that?" Rachel paled when she could see where it all was going. The group started laughing and Finn started turning red.

"Let's see what Rachel had to say about 30 weeks ago." Kurt scanned down his clipboard. "'Oh, that will come in handy,' 'Oh my God! It's so tiny!', 'Do I have to pump it myself?', 'Aw, it leaked all over!', 'Do you think it will fit?'," Kurt paused, trying not to laugh riotously with everyone else before delivering his last 'That's What She Said', "and finally, what Rachel probably _should_ have said all those months ago, 'Just pull it out.'" This earned the biggest round of laughter from everyone and Finn and Rachel were beet red as she shied against him to hide her face.

Finn glanced around the room and saw his and Rachel's parents trying to hide their secondhand embarrassment, Puck crying from laughing, and just general mirth at their expense.

"Of course, we're all so happy that since he didn't at least he's having a baby with a wonderful woman. We love you both and can't wait to meet your son." Kurt raised his glass in a toast. "To Finn, Rachel, and Baby Boy Berry-Hudson, may you be the happiest and healthiest of families."

Cheers sounded around the room and Finn squeezed Rachel's hand, the happy couple sharing a smile. She felt a large kick to her ribs and held her side. "I think our little boy is trying to toast as well." She felt another jab to her side.

While the baby used her insides for boxing practice, Beth and Ben came up to her. "Rachel, can we please feel the baby move?"

"Sure, if he decides to kick somewhere you can feel." She felt around, pressing on her stomach until she felt him start to kick lower. "Give me your hands." Beth and Ben placed their hands in hers and she moved them down to where the movement was. He fluttered again and Ben squealed at the feeling while Beth awed.

"That's so weird!"

"It takes some getting used to but I think I might miss it once it's gone."

The kids continued feeling her belly until the baby stopped moving. Being in a rocking chair, Rachel figured she had rocked him to sleep. The kids went back to playing Baby Bottle Bowling in the hallway and Rachel sighed in content.

For the first time Rachel felt totally at ease and incandescently happy. She had a wonderful boyfriend who loved her beyond words, a sure to be beautiful baby boy growing bigger and stronger inside her every day, she was surrounded by family and love constantly, and deep down she knew their current housing situation would resolve itself and after the baby was born her career would flourish. Whether it was women's intuition or her latent psychic abilities, she knew it all to be true.

A couple hours later when the guests had dwindled to only close relatives and finally just the Hummels, her, and Finn, Rachel found herself being dragged from the condo to a secret location, blindfolded, and with zero information.

"Finn, what is going on? Where are we going?" she asked for the tenth time.

"We're nearly there. Just a few more minutes. Trust me, you're gonna love it."

She pouted in silence until the cab came to a stop and Finn helped her out of the vehicle. "Can I please take this blindfold off?"

"We just need to cross the street."

"You want me to cross the street blind?!"

Finn rolled his eyes at her dramatics. "I'll be here the entire time. I won't let you fall or get his by a car or anything."

Rachel huffed in protest but gripped Finn's hand tighter nonetheless. Acting as a guide, Finn led them across the street and up the block a few yards before stopping and turning her to the right.

"Ready?"

"I've been ready since we left."

"Okay…one, two, three!" He tugged the blindfold off her head and threw his arms out in a grand gesture. "Surprise!"

Rachel stared between him and the rest of the block, not entirely sure what was happening. "I don't get it."

He took her hand and started up the stairs of the brownstone in front of them. "Finn, what are you doing?" she cried as he opened the door. "You can't just break into someone's house!"

"It's not breaking in if you have a key. And besides, I'm not breaking, we're just entering."

Rachel was thoroughly confused as he suddenly lifted her into his arms bridal style. "Finn!" she squealed.

"I know you're supposed to do this after getting married, but it seems appropriate now anyway." He carried her over the threshold. "Welcome home, Rachel."

Her mouth dropped open comically as her head swiveled back and forth between her boyfriend and the spacious foyer of the brownstone. "Now I _really_ don't get it."

Finn placed her back on her feet and closed the door behind them. "This is our new home, Rachel."

Her eyebrow shot up. "Did you have a few million dollars just lying around I didn't know about? You can't be serious! We could never afford this place."

"Not right now anyway, but the landlord did tell me we could buy it from him when your career takes off and I start making Emeril Lagasse kinds of money with the restaurant."

"Who is the landlord?"

"Burt."

"Burt _Hummel_? Your step-father?"

"Do we know any other Burts?"

Rachel shook her head as she fought to understand what was going on. "Finn, please just, tell me from the start what is going on."

"Let's take a walk." He draped his arm over her shoulders and explained all about Burt's offer to them. She couldn't believe he had done that for them and knew she could never repay him.

"I have to bake him at least a dozen batches of those lemon meringue bars he adores. It's just too much." She could feel the happy tears coming on again.

"Are the tears a good thing?"

Rachel nodded and hugged him, leaning up to kiss his lips. "This is perfect, Finn. Thank you."

"We really have to thank Burt."

"Yes, but I want to thank you too. You've been so amazing through all of this. You've put up with my crazy and my mood swings and showed me and this baby more love than I've ever known. I love you so much. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me too. I can't wait to start our life together."

"We already have started, Finn." She kissed him again, beaming when she pulled away. "Now it's just exquisitely perfect."

* * *

But how long can perfection last?


	19. The Move

Wow, you all really freaked out at my A/N at the end of the last chapter. I'm just going to say, some drama is necessary to keep things interesting but I promise I could never be as cruel as RIB have been this season. I believe in happy endings. Have faith.

* * *

"Hello! I'm Rachel, this is Blaine. It's so nice to meet you!" Rachel greeted in a chipper manner for the eighth time that day.

She opened the door wider to allow the couple looking to share the apartment with Blaine inside, shaking their hands as the four exchanged greetings. With Rachel's move now imminent, it was imperative that Blaine find a new roommate soon. She was waiting until they had settled on a new housemate for Blaine to begin packing as homes were usually easier to sell when they looked homey rather than barren, which was the reason Rachel was so eagerly searching for a suitable replacement.

Living with Finn was going to take some getting used to as the space would no longer just be hers. She would be sharing all the rooms with a man she hadn't known as long as she had known her fathers and Blaine, and she couldn't be sure what to expect. She was thrilled to be at the point in her life where she was confident enough in a relationship to move in with the man she loved, but it was still frightening moving into the unknown.

"Please, have a seat!" Rachel motioned her hand toward the couch and sat in the armchair next to it while Blaine sat on the armrest.

"You have a lovely home," the tall brunette said as she moved her purse from her lap, looking around at the living room's décor.

"Thank you. Blaine and I have varying tastes but we managed to find a theme that worked for both of us. So, um, why don't you tell us about yourselves?" She folded her hands over her stomach and tilted her head expectantly.

The couple on the couch turned to each other and held hands. "Well, I'm Marley Rose – I mean Marley _Puckerman_ – and this is my husband Jake."

Rachel and Blaine looked at each other, both wondering if they heard Marley correctly. "I'm sorry, did you say Puckerman?" Rachel asked.

Marley nodded in confusion. "Yes…why?"

"It's just we know a Noah Puckerman. You aren't by chance related?"

Jake and Marley shared a look and both shook their heads no. "Not that I know of… The only other Puckerman I know is my deadbeat dad."

"I'm sure it's just a coincidence. Noah can't be the only Puckerman on the planet and I'm sure not all of them are related." Rachel clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. "So, Marley, Jake, why don't you tell us a little about yourselves?"

Marley smiled at Jake and spoke, "We're newlyweds, our engagement was short lived and our wedding was a bit shotgun, which is why we're so desperate for a place we can be together. We're both in college and the dorms just aren't working for us anymore since we can't share one."

"I totally understand what you mean. My life has changed quite drastically in the past year which has forced me to make some changes."

"Is that why you and your husband are looking to move?"

"My husband?"

"Blaine is your husband, isn't he?"

Blaine and Rachel shared a glance before breaking out into laughter. "No, not at all. Blaine is my cousin. We've been roommates since he started college but now I'm moving in with my boyfriend and he needs a new roommate that isn't having a baby anytime soon."

"Wait, so only _you_ are moving?" Jake asked, pointing at Rachel before looking at Marley.

"Yes. Blaine will still be living here."

Jake pressed his lips to Marley's ear and spoke quietly. Rachel looked up at Blaine and they shared an uneasy glance. The couple seemed to argue a bit before Marley rolled her eyes and broke out into a smile.

"Would you mind if we look around a little?"

"Oh, of course." Rachel got to her feet and smoothed her dress down over her bump. "Obviously this is the living room, Blaine has a state of the art entertainment system; you wouldn't have to worry about finding furniture since all of this is staying here. If you'll follow me…"

She showed them around the rest of the apartment which due to its size didn't take very long. They seemed to silently discuss everything as they went along until the tour finally ended.

"Honestly, this place seems pretty perfect for what we need. It's not too far from school, the price is right, it's furnished." Marley gripped Jake's hand. He seemed far less enthusiastic about the place.

"I can tell you have some objections…?" Rachel looked at Jake expectantly.

He shrugged a little. "It's just…I'm not sure how I would feel living with another dude, with my wife."

Blaine grinned to himself and crossed his arms over his chest. "Trust me, you have nothing to worry about from me. I'm very committed to my boyfriend."

Marley and Jake's eyebrows rose identically. "You're gay?" Jake asked.

"Yes. Very. I tried dating a girl once; don't ever plan on doing it again. That doesn't bother you, does it?"

Jake shook his head. "Nope. I've got no problem with gay dudes."

"So, can we live here now? If Blaine will have us that is…?" Marley stared at Blaine with hope in her eyes.

"I have to say, you're the least scary and nicest candidates we've seen so far. I'd just like to get some references so I know for sure you aren't some kind of Bonnie and Clyde couple."

Marley giggled, "Jake has a bit of a sordid past, but I can assure you neither of us have ever robbed a bank or killed anyone. We really are just looking for a place to start out."

"Blaine should be the perfect roommate for you then. He's hardly ever here so you'll get privacy most of the time. He and his boyfriend Kurt stay at Kurt's place most nights."

"Really?" Jake asked, raising his eyebrow in intrigue as he looked at Marley with a gleam in his eye. She blushed deep red.

"And even if I am here, I have noise cancelling headphones. I doubt anyone can be louder than Rachel though."

Rachel backhanded his chest. "Blaine!"

"What? You sing at decibels that no human should be able to reach. I love your voice but not when I'm trying to sleep after coming in late from rehearsal. Get your head out of the gutter, Rachel." He rubbed her head, messing up her hair, earning a grunt of disapproval.

"Anyway, Marley, Jake, I'm sure you would make excellent roommates for Blaine. When were you looking to move in?"

"As soon as possible."

"Well, I can be out of my room by the end of the week."

"Does that mean-"

"I'd suggest if you can get your money back from school for your dorms that you do. You'll need it for rent."

Marley beamed and hugged Jake shaking him back and forth before turning back to Blaine and Rachel. "This is the best news we've heard all day. Thank you!"

After a short discussion about moving day and other things, Rachel ushered them out of the apartment and turned back to Blaine, rubbing her hands back and forth like she was done with dirty work. "I told you I could find a great replacement roommate."

"And here I was thinking I'd catch a break on the horny couple front."

"Do not even go there, Blaine. I really think they're a sweet couple and with three people, rent will be even lower. I do find it rather coincidental that Jake's last name is Puckerman. From what I've learned of Noah's father it wouldn't surprise me if Noah has a few siblings running around he isn't aware of."

"If he is related to Puck I change my mind."

Rachel scoffed and looked dourly at her cousin. "He seemed perfectly nice and very gentlemanly. He didn't once make a crude comment about boobs and didn't swear casually at all. And besides, you spend so much time at Kurt's lately it's like you hardly live here anyway. It's basically become a very expensive storage area."

Blaine slid into the armchair and rested his head on the back. "I just like having a space to escape to that Kurt isn't in, y'know? Sometimes you just need alone time."

"I know the feeling."

"Think you'll be able to handle sharing all your space with Finn?"

"We'll be fine. There are five bedrooms plus a downstairs apartment. Finn and I could have our own separate rooms in addition to our shared bedroom and the nursery and we'd still have a room left over. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to be able to do with so much space. Ever since moving to the city, I've condensed my entire life into that tiny room down the hall and now I have a huge building to spread out in with nothing to fill the empty spaces."

"If you really want to fill the space you could pop out three more kids." Blaine laughed as Rachel whacked him with a pillow.

"If you think I'm having another baby anytime soon you are insane. As soon as I'm able, I'm going on the pill. I love Finn and our son, but we do not need more Hudsons running around yet."

"I thought you were going with Berry-Hudson?"

Rachel tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth and shook her head. "I've decided against it. Someday Finn and I will be married and our kids would have his last name only. I came to the conclusion that I will use Rachel Berry for my stage name and be Rachel Hudson in my private life…if Finn ever gets around to asking me to marry him."

"I'm sure he will soon. You're having a baby and moving in together and he loves you. Based on the reverse order of your romance, marriage would logically come next."

"I can't believe how far I've come. When we first started dating, I hardly let him kiss me because I wanted to take things slow and now I'm the one whining about him not asking me to marry him. I don't know if it's hormones or that I just love him so much I can't wait to call him all mine."

"Could be both…" He stood from the couch. "If you plan on being out of your room by the end of the week, we should start packing you up now. I know how you like to reminisce about every object you touch while spring cleaning."

"It helps me decide whether or not its value is sentimental enough to keep."

"Sure Rachel, whatever you say."

He helped her to her feet and led the way down the hall to her bedroom, intent on helping her end one chapter in her life and begin another.

Two days later, Finn, Blaine, and Kurt were helping her finish moving all of her things into the new house. The big furniture had already been brought over from Finn's the day prior and all that was left were the baby's things to be carried in from Burt's SUV.

Rachel stood in the mess of boxes and bags of baby clothes scattered about the unfinished room that would be her son's in roughly ten weeks. The walls were bright white, the floor a beautiful dark cherry hardwood, and bay windows facing out to the street. Their room was directly above, a smaller room down the hall from that, and the remaining two bedrooms on the second floor with the nursery. They had decided until the other rooms may be needed for future Baby Hudsons, Finn could have a den while Rachel had a music room, and the whole family could have a massive entertainment room. Finn had always wanted to put up a wall-sized screen, hang a projector hooked up to a DVD player, and build theatre style risers for his own personal movie theatre. As an avid fan of the filmic arts herself Rachel joined him in his enthusiasm for the project.

What she did not share his enthusiasm for however, was the theme he kept pushing for their son's room.

"Babe, I'm telling you, football. I was looking online and they had some really cool stuff for kids' rooms." He placed a box down on the floor and joined Rachel at the window.

"We're not doing football, Finn. You have your den. If you want a football theme in there you are more than welcome to deck it out in all your Giants memorabilia you have. And you can forget about hanging those Star Wars posters in our bedroom. That is a shared space. We will equally decide how to decorate it."

"Where am I supposed to put them? They've been in my room since I was a kid."

Rachel tapped her chin in contemplation until realization struck. "They're films; put them in the theatre room."

"Smart thinking."

"It's why I wear the pants in this relationship."

Finn snorted and shook his head. "You do not wear the pants in this relationship."

She placed her hand on his cheek and rubbed her thumb softly back and forth over his stubble, pouting and looking at him like he was a child who didn't know any better. "Oh Finn, you keep thinking that." She patted his cheek and turned around to survey the nursery once more. "We have a lot of work to do if we want this room done by the time he gets here."

"We'll get it done."

"Jesus, this thing is heavy," Kurt grunted while he and Blaine carried in an oversized black bentwood rocking chair. "Where did you find it?"

Rachel pointed to the corner and they put it down. "It was a gift from my Grandma. It's been in her family ever since they came over from Austria in the late 1800s."

"I still think it's bogus. Why do you get Grandma's chair?" Blaine whined.

"Because I'm her only granddaughter. You're getting her jukebox. I'd say it's fair considering I've always wanted that."

"Eh, whatever. I can't really use a rocking chair anyway. The baby needs it more than I do."

Kurt sat delicately in the chair, rocking back and forth as he looked around the room. "Is that what we're continuing to call him? 'The Baby'? Haven't you settled on any names yet?"

"As with everything else regarding our child, Finn and I cannot seem to come to an agreement on one. Finn prefers characters from video games and action movies-"

"Because they're awesome."

She glared at him, continuing on from his interruption, "While I prefer names that actually mean something outside of X-box."

"Right, because Curly is such a great name," he replied, voice thick with sarcasm.

"It's better than Sonic! I am not naming our son after a cartoon hedgehog!"

"I'm not a moron. I wouldn't actually name our kid Sonic. It was a joke."

Rachel did not look convinced. "Luke certainly wasn't a joke."

"That's not so bad. It's a normal name."

She whipped her head around and stared at Blaine with fire in her eyes. "It is when Skywalker is attached to the end. I am not naming our baby after science fiction characters."

"Oh, but Edward is acceptable," Finn scoffed.

"What is wrong with Edward?"

"Nothing, except that you only like the name because of _Twilight_. I'm not naming our son after some sparkly emo vampire."

Rachel closed her eyes and shook her head. "I cannot deal with you right now. I'm hungry and tired and my back is killing me. I'm going to order some pizza and you can get started on putting our bed together so I can take a nap after I've eaten."

She stormed out of the nursery and disappeared down the hall leaving the men alone in the baby's room. "Luke really isn't that bad of a name," Blaine said in an attempt to break the tension.

"And Edward has been a popular boy's name long before _Twilight_ was ever a thing," Kurt agreed.

Finn sighed and rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. "At the rate we're going our kid isn't going to ever have a name."

Kurt stood from the rocker and stopped beside Finn. "Something will come along that you both will like, I'm sure of it." He clapped his brother on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. "If we want any of the pizza Rachel is ordering, I suggest we get downstairs before she eats it all herself."

The next week passed quickly as Rachel and Finn worked to set up their new home, well, as Finn worked quickly to set it up. As she had been advised to relax and was prohibited from heavy lifting, Rachel mostly pointed to where she wanted their furniture placed before hemming and hawing then changing her mind and making him move it before telling him she liked it better where it was before. Every room had been painted, with the exception of the nursery, and pictures were being hung, trinkets displayed in their places, their house turning into their home.

A weight was being lifted from Rachel's shoulders with each completed room and that sense of domesticity and family grew each passing day as did she. The only room that didn't seem to be resolving itself was the nursery. They had chosen black furniture to match the rocking chair Rachel had been bestowed, but besides the crib, changing table, and armoire, they couldn't come to an agreement on anything.

The argument was even beginning to extend beyond their son's room the closer they came to the Hummel's annual Halloween party at Burt and Carole's. As they stood in the costume store searching for something to fit Rachel, tempers began to rise.

"Finn! This is my first Halloween as a couple in three years. I want to match."

"But matching costumes are lame. You're going to make me go as Mr. Potato Head to your Misses."

"It's the only costume I could find that fit. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly in position to go as the slutty nurse or whatever it is you want me to be."

"Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you need to go as a potato!"

"Do you really think I want to go as a potato?!" Rachel's eyes began to glisten with tears and now Finn knew they were in trouble. "I would love to be your sexy nurse or kitty cat or any other sexy costume you've suggested and I could normally wear, but I can't. I have your giant son growing in my womb and making me the size of a planet! I'm sorry I can't be sexy for you this year but I'm busy fostering life!" Rachel plopped down on the bench in the dressing room and rubbed her belly protectively.

Finn sighed and stepped closer to kneel in front of Rachel. "I don't care if your costume is sexy or scary or anything in between. I want you to be happy with your choice and I know you don't want to be a potato. What do you really want to be?"

Rachel pouted and turned away from Finn, wiping at the tears in her eyes. "It doesn't matter, I can't be it."

"Rachel," Finn leveled her with a stare, "just tell me."

She swallowed and stared down at her hands as she mumbled, "I've always wanted to be a Barbie with a Ken, but I never had a Ken. Even when I had a boyfriend during Halloween I never got to be Barbie because Jesse only ever wanted to go as Broadway characters, which I'll admit was always fun, and Brody wasn't into the coupley costumes. I went as Marie Antoinette without a Louis and was humiliated when he showed up to go out as a pimp. We didn't match at all and he spent the entire night flirting with every girl in a skimpy costume because he needed to be 'in character'."

"Yeah, that sounds like what I remember of him." Finn gripped her knees affectionately. "Babe, if you want to be a Barbie, be a Barbie. I'll be your Ken, if that's what you really want." He knew he would end up looking ridiculous but if it would make Rachel happy, he would do it.

Rachel scoffed and pushed him back to stand up. She stretched her back and started pulling her clothes back on. "What kind of Barbie do you suggest I go as?! Pregnant Barbie?"

"I don't know. But being pregnant doesn't mean you shouldn't be a Barbie."

"Finn, I can't be a Barbie with an eight month belly. How am I supposed to wear a ball gown when I look like this?" She pointed at her protruding stomach.

Finn pulled her into his arms and placed a delicate kiss on her lips. "You look beautiful. You're gorgeous, a goddess, a stunning vision."

"I don't feel that way. I feel fat and gross and I want to be able to wear all my favorite clothes instead of these tents and I miss being able to wear my heels and even see my feet. Everything is swollen and I have stretch marks that will never go away and I want to be able to be sexy, but I can't because I'm not." She pouted dramatically and tears slipped down her cheeks.

"You are sexy. I know you've gotten bigger and it's made everything harder, but that hasn't changed. You're more beautiful than ever." Suddenly an idea popped in his head. "I've got it. Now get your sexy perfect body dressed so we can get the hell out of here." He squeezed her butt and kissed her again before slipping out of the stall to put away the rejected costumes.

The day of Halloween, Rachel was in the tub attempting to shave her legs. She had started splurging on waxes when her belly really expanded, but at the moment, stubble was forming and she had no time to wax. She got through her bikini line and half of one leg before growing winded and needing a break. Her back ached and her feet hurt and this was making her strokes sloppy equaling quite a few nicks.

"Finn!" she called from the tub, pulling herself up to wait for him. "Finn!" She yelled for a few more minutes with no success before pushing herself out of the tub. Wrapping her robe around her body, Rachel wandered through the house searching for Finn until she found him painting in his den.

"Finn, didn't you hear me calling?"

As his music was quite loud, Rachel figured that was the cause. He lowered the volume and shook his head. "What did you need?"

"Clearly we need an intercom or some bells or something."

"What do you think this is? _Downton Abbey_?"

Rachel chuckled. "If it works. I could go any day now so you need to be ready. Anyway, my more pressing matter is that I need your help to finish shaving. I only got through half of my right leg."

A sly grin crossed his face. He climbed down the step ladder and draped his arm around her shoulders. "It will be my pleasure."

Much to his disappointment however, Rachel denied him the shower sex he had hoped for and only thanked him with a kiss for his assistance. Despite attempts to change her mind while she dried off, Rachel was adamant that they needed to stay on task if they wanted to get to the party on time.

Once dried and in her underwear, Rachel threw her robe back on and decided to wait downstairs for Kurt to arrive with her finished costume and their wigs. As she landed on the first floor she could hear hushed voices coming from the living room and realized Kurt was already there. She quietly poked her head around the corner to find them speaking with their heads close together. There was something both were staring at between them but she couldn't see the object in Finn's hand. He chuckled and slipped whatever it was into his left pocket and sensing their conversation had moved on, Rachel coughed to alert them to her presence, and sauntered into the room.

"Ah, there she is. Ready to get into your costume?" Kurt asked as he turned to face her and held up a small garment bag and a giant make-up kit.

"I am. Let's get the alterations done." Finn low whistled as he watched Rachel drop her robe onto a chair and stand before them both in tiny black panties and a black strapless bra.

"Damn, Rach. You look fantastic."

She looked down at herself and felt nervous about how exposed she would be with the costume they settled on. "This is silly. The original Barbie doll didn't come with a beach ball."

"So we're improvising. The first Ken doll didn't always come with a swim shirt, but if I show up in just those red hot pants, I'm gonna get laughed out of the party."

"You're about to get laughed out of your house. Did you say 'red hot pants'?" Kurt asked, a laugh on his lips.

Finn tipped his head back to look at the ceiling in a silent prayer. "I'm going as the original Ken to match Rachel's original Barbie. All he wore were small red shorts and sandals. Since the only one who seems to appreciate my body is Rachel, I don't want to subject you all to my glaring pale chest."

"Finn, your physique is amazing. I love your big, strong, manly, muscley yet cuddly, pale body." Rachel licked her lips, staring at his chest like a lioness on the prowl as she ran her fingers delicately over his torso.

Kurt sneered at her hormonal display. "Ew. Okay, if I want to have time to get home to put my own costume on, we need to get your costumes on. That is my entire reason for coming over here. Rachel first, yours will take longer."

A few hours later, Finn and Rachel were entering the 'Mummy's Tomb' in their vintage style Barbie and Ken bathing suit costumes, pulling their winter coats off as they stepped out of the elevator.

"Mummy's Tomb?" Rachel queried.

"Every year Burt goes as a classic movie monster. This year must be the mummy again."

They walked down the hall lined with paper covered in hieroglyphics and faux cobwebs, flickering torches, and scraps of mummy wrappings along the floor. When they arrived to the living room, the entire place was converted to a pyramid style mummy tomb. Dozens of guests were scattered about as Monster Mash played in the background.

"Did he have a Hollywood set designer do this?" Rachel awed as they put their coats in the closet. If she thought the decorations for her baby shower had been top notch, she obviously hadn't received the A-list treatment.

Finn shrugged. "He very well could have. He has a lot of friends around the country in various jobs."

"Finn! Rachel!" Carole crowed as she came up to them dressed as Cleopatra. "Oh, that is so clever! Making your bump a beach ball. I'm assuming Barbie and Ken…?"

"Yes! We're the originals of each." Rachel was dressed in a strapless one-piece zebra striped bathing suit just like the one the original Barbie doll wore with one glaring difference. A large hole was cut out of the center to create space for Rachel's stomach and her skin was painted to look like a beach ball. On her feet were open toed black flats, her make-up was in the classic 50's style, and on her head was a large blonde wig in a ponytail to look like the iconic blonde. Though Barbie was a brunette too, Rachel wanted to go with the blonde Barbie everyone knew. As for Finn, he had on the short red shorts, his red and white vertical striped shirt left open in the front per Rachel's request and a yellow towel draped around his shoulders, Adidas sandals on his feet and a blonde felt wig on his head.

"That is such a fantastic idea for a couple's costume. Too bad I can never get Burt away from classic movie monsters."

"Well, I think you look beautiful. Royalty is very becoming of you."

"Thank you, my dear." Carole finally turned her full attention to her son. "My God, are you trying to show off your privates?"

Finn looked down at his shorts and cursed the '60s. "Just be happy I'm wearing a shirt. Original Ken didn't always come with one."

"If Rachel can add a beach ball, you could add a few inches to your shorts."

Rachel giggled and eyed his pasty legs. "I kinda like his short shorts." She patted his butt and bit her lip playfully. "They really compliment his butt."

"Kinda like your suit." He placed his hand on her ass and squeezed it, making Rachel squirm.

"Finn! Your mom is still here," she whispered harshly at him.

"You started it."

"Mummy's Tomb again? Dad, seriously?" Kurt's voice wafted to Rachel's ears. She turned to see her friend speaking with a mummy, dressed himself as James Bond. The only way Rachel could tell he was Bond was from the gun in his left hand and the martini – shaken, not stirred – in his right. He looked quite dashing.

She excused herself and moved over to Kurt when Burt rushed off to handle a food situation. "Mr. Bond, I presume?"

"Yes, Bond, James Bond." Kurt chuckled and examined Rachel. "Finn did a pretty good job with that beach ball."

"Yes, his genes have done quite a number on my stomach. I know."

"I was actually referring to the beach ball painted on your stomach."

Rachel looked down in sudden recognition. "Oh, yeah, duh. He was so happy you relinquished the job to him. He had fun painting it after you left."

"Please do not tell me about the fun you two had. I do not need to hear it."

"It wasn't dirty. Baby was kicking and Finn got to feel it and really see it. Baby even messed up his lines so he had to restart." Rachel looked at her painted tummy affectionately. "Our boy isn't even here yet but Finn is already so good with him. Every time he's awake and hears Finn's voice, he starts moving. I can't wait for them to meet."

"Who can't wait to meet?" Finn asked, coming up behind Rachel to hold her.

"For you to meet our son. You're going to be a fabulous father."

"I hope so." Finn felt a tingle in his pants and shivered. "My hot pants are vibrating." He looked down and saw a glow coming through his pocket. "Oh, it's your phone, not just your lust for my body making me tingly."

Rachel rolled her eyes at Finn and took her phone when he handed it to her. She saw it was her Papa and excused herself to speak with him.

"So, when are you gonna pop the question?" Kurt sipped on his Poison Appletini.

"Not anytime soon. I want to wait until the baby comes."

"Then why are you carrying the ring with you?"

Finn's eyebrows popped up. "How did you know I have it with me?"

"The way you pulled Rachel's phone out of your pocket. Whenever you have something valuable you're trying to keep in your pockets you use both hands to keep it from falling out. Since your wallet is in your back pocket, I could only assume it's the ring."

"You pay entirely too much attention to unimportant things."

"Au contraire, mon frère, I think you'll find that the seemingly unimportant things are the most important. How do you think I find out things I want to know without asking anyone anything? I find out your tells."

"Okay…well, I'm carrying it around so Rachel won't find it and I won't lose it. With all the moving and decorating we've been doing, I didn't want to chance misplacing it or putting it somewhere Rachel will randomly find it and start freaking out or something."

"Would you like me to keep it safe?"

"No, I got it."

"Okay…but if you lose it, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I won't lose it."

Kurt brightened as he spotted something behind Finn. "My boyfriend is here and looks ridiculous as a hobbit, excuse me."

His brother now disappearing into the crowd, Finn decided to check on Rachel. He found her upstairs in his bedroom still on the phone with her dad. He sat next to her on the bed and placed his hand on her knee, caressing lightly. Her legs were so smooth and soft. He trailed his hand slowly up her leg, running his hand down between her creamy thighs, squeezing. Finn placed his lips at her shoulder and began kissing along her skin to her neck.

Rachel continued her conversation, attempting to fend off his advances but doing so rather half-heartedly. "Papa, I need to go. I'll see you soon. Bye." She hit end on her phone and threw it to the floor as she succumbed to Finn's kisses turning into his body and tilting her head back to give him better access to her neck. "If we're going to do this it needs to be quick and clean. I don't have spare paint for my belly."

"I can do that." Finn laid her back on the bed and helped her get comfortable on the pillows. He hovered over her and kissed her bare clavicle, toying with her flesh with his tongue, sucking with his lips. Her hands found purchase at his hips and she slipped her fingers into his pockets to push his shorts down. With her heightened senses, she felt a small, cool bit of metal against her fingers before it slid from his pocket onto the bed.

As Finn continued to work his way slowly up to her lips, Rachel felt around for the small object and upon finding it, lifted it above her to see it was a beautiful diamond ring. The band was white gold, the diamonds shimmering in a circular pattern that formed into a flower design. It was the prettiest ring she had ever seen and as she stared at it, Rachel suddenly understood. She gasped in recognition and called for Finn's attention but he just moaned against her throat.

"Finn!" She slapped at his shoulder, pushing him back with purpose. "Finn!"

"What's wrong?" He looked down at her and noticed her eyes focused on something beyond him. He followed her gaze and internally berated himself when he saw the ring in her hand. "Rachel, I-"

"Yes," a small whisper escaped her lips.

"What?"

She nodded her head furiously, a grin forming on her lips and tears brewing in her eyes. "If you're going to ask me to marry you, the answer is yes."

Finn didn't know what to say. He hadn't even asked the question yet and Rachel was already answering. This wasn't the way he wanted to propose and still wasn't entirely prepared for the moment, but looking into Rachel's eyes, which shone brighter than the diamonds on the ring, seeing her million watt smile beaming just for him, he couldn't bring himself to care or retract the offer.

"Rachel, this really isn't the way I wanted to ask you – I wanted it to be super romantic and meaningful and I was going to wait until after you had the baby – but now that you know, I want to ask you to marry me. I don't want to take it back."

The tears in Rachel's eyes spilled over and she let out a short laugh. "I would love it if you asked me."

Finn sat up and helped Rachel sit up on the bed. She swung her legs around to place her feet on the floor while Finn knelt in front of her. She handed the ring to him and he took her hand in his, feeling the softness of her skin.

"Rachel, I love you, and I love our son, and I want us to be a real and true family. I want you to be mine and for me to be yours and to raise our son as a married couple. Rachel, will you-"

"Yes!" she squealed before he could finish speaking. Rachel threw herself into his arms, forcing them both onto the floor as she kissed him fiercely. "Yes, I will marry you."

Finn tightened his hold on her and kissed her again as she settled her body into his lap. She withdrew a little and looked down at his hands. "Can I see the ring?"

"Yeah…" Finn fumbled for a moment before he held it up for her to examine. "It's the ring my dad gave my mom. She told me she wanted to see you wear it."

Rachel laughed as she cried, hardly believing that Carole felt that way about her, and slipped the ring on her finger until it stopped only at her knuckle. She attempted to force it further down but it refused to fit. She began to frown and get frustrated. "It doesn't fit."

Finn put his hands over hers to stop her fiddling and pulled the ring off her finger. "It'll fit when we get it resized after you have the baby."

"I hate that I'm so swollen. I want to wear it now." She fingered the band and Finn placed it directly in her palm. He wrapped his hands around her neck and felt for the clasp of her necklace. He pulled it away from her throat and took back the ring to slip it on the chain with her little silver star. Delicately he placed it back around her neck, smoothing his hands down her throat to her clavicle, touching the ring on the chain.

"There, now you can wear it."

She wrapped her fingers around his and leaned forward to press her lips to his. "I love you so much." Rachel moved her hands up to tug on his hair and kiss him soundly on the lips, pouring every ounce of that love into her embrace.

The newly engaged couple spent the next hour celebrating in their own private way. Finn's wig was on the floor along with his clothes and his body was covered in paint smudges that had worn off from Rachel's stomach. Her wig was askew on her head, her bathing suit stuffed under the sheets at the end of the bed, her body just as messy with paint as her fiancé's.

Fiancé. She couldn't believe she had a fiancé now. It was so unexpected and sudden which Rachel thought should terrify her, but as she laid in bed staring at her man, playing with the ring around her neck, she felt nothing but content and assuredness in her decision.

"I love you," she confessed again quietly, grinning like a fool.

"I love you." He nuzzled her nose with his, placing a light kiss on her lips.

"I can't believe I have a fiancé now. I never thought I would be here at this point in my life but I am so happy."

"Me too. I can't wait until I can call you Mrs. Hudson." He grinned devilishly at her and kissed her again, pulling her flush against his body.

"Why wait?" she mumbled against his lips. Rachel didn't know where the idea came from but suddenly she wanted nothing more than to call herself Mrs. Hudson before the end of the year, before their baby boy arrived. "Why should we wait? Let's get married now."

Finn gulped loudly and pushed up to lean on his arm. "This isn't exactly Vegas, Rach. There's a waiting period."

"Then as soon as possible. Why do we need to wait? We're already having a baby, we live together, we're engaged…"

"Don't you think that's a lot to take on at once? We still have a lot of work to do on the house and the baby is so close to being here. Wedding planning is very stressful and I don't want you to add that to your stress level. The doctor said to take it easy."

Rachel seemed to consider what he was saying but chose to ignore it. "Kurt can plan it. I don't care about the details as long as I get to be your wife at the end of the day. I know he would do it and wonderfully at that. He and your mother did a fabulous job with the baby shower. No stress, see?"

Finn was still reluctant however. "Rachel, I really want to marry you, but I think this is one thing we shouldn't rush. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams, not a ceremony haphazardly thrown together. Can we please just wait until after he's born?" He placed his hand over her stomach and felt their son kicking away madly as he usually did after their love making. "We could have a spring wedding," he suggested.

"It would give me greater dress options to wait. There are only so many dresses a pregnant woman can wear and white tends to make people look larger. And then it could be outside. Although I do think winter themes can be very beautiful. Finn," Rachel developed a whiny tone to her voice, "I really want to get married now. I don't want to wait."

"Rach-" Finn was ready to protest further until a knock on the door broke their conversation.

"Finn? Have you seen Ra-" his mother began as she opened the door, cutting herself off as she witnessed her son and his girlfriend scrambling to cover themselves on the bed. "Really? There is a party going on downstairs!"

"We know. It just happened."

Carole closed her eyes and turned away to give them some privacy. "Can't say I totally blame you. Pregnancy hormones have a mind of their own. Once your father and I-"

"Mom! Really don't want to think about you and dad doing…_that_ while I was present."

Carole just chuckled at his embarrassment. "Get dressed and downstairs. It's nearly time for the costume contest and the Berrys are here."

"I don't think we're gonna participate. Rachel's beach ball kinda got all over."

"TMI, son. I have some extra paint you can use. I'll leave it in the bathroom for you."

She exited the room and Rachel hid her face in mortification. "I cannot believe your mother just saw us like this. And she didn't even seem fazed!"

"My mom was a nurse. Nothing much shocks her anymore. And she's caught me in much more compromising situations before."

Rachel cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? Such as?"

Finn's eyes flickered back and forth guiltily before he cleared his throat and sat up to get dressed. "Not important. Let's get our costumes back on." He hopped out of bed and slapped his felt wing on his head.

Rachel tilted her head to appraise his nude body. "I am so glad that unlike Ken you are anatomically correct."

Finn looked down at his groin and blushed. "Me too. It would really suck if I weren't. Now stop looking at my junk or I'm gonna have to use it on you again."

Shortly after, Finn and Rachel rejoined the party to find her Papa and Dad talking with Burt and Carole dressed as Jean Valjean and Javert from _Les Misérables_ respectively. She greeted them with a big hug and as she pulled back Leroy tilted his head as he noticed her necklace, leaning closer to examine it fully.

"That's a lovely ring. It looks like an engagement ring actually. Where'd you get it?"

Rachel tugged on her lower lip with her teeth as she looked up at Finn, taking his hand and smiling. He grinned down at her and sent her a silent okay. She turned back to her dads. "I got it from my fiancé. I would wear it on my finger but my hands are too swollen for it to fit."

Her dads nodded at her blasé tone but as soon as her statement sunk in, Hiram squealed in response while Leroy covered his mouth in shock. "Fiancé?! You proposed?!" Hiram yelled loudly, calling the attention of multiple party goers.

"He proposed!" Rachel shrieked, holding up the ring for them to better see.

"Move it! Out of my way!" Kurt's voice demanded as he bustled through the growing crowd. "You proposed?! What happened to waiting?"

Finn shrugged under his line of questioning. "The ring fell out of my pocket and Rachel found it."

Kurt face palmed dramatically. "You doofus! I told you, you should have let me keep it safe for you. That is hardly a romantic gesture."

"Kurt, calm down. I loved my proposal. It was spontaneous yet absolutely perfect." She beamed up at Finn and touched her lips with her free hand to indicate she wanted a kiss. Finn obliged and a few people began applauding.

"This calls for some champagne…except for you, Rachel. You get sparkling cider." Carole ventured to the den where they kept their primo alcohol.

People began bombarding the couple with congratulations and questions and by the time they were done, Rachel was feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

"Maybe we should wait until after the baby comes," Rachel conceded. "We've only been engaged four hours and I'm already exhausted."

Finn laughed and spoke softly into her ear. "You sure that's not just because of our awesome engagement sex earlier?"

"Oh, I'm sure that's part of it. You always manage to tucker me out." She bit her lip and poked his chest playfully.

"You wanna get out of here?"

She nodded in assent and allowed Finn to help her to her feet. She held her back and stretched, pushing her belly out.

"Damn Berry, you are getting huge," Superman commented as he sauntered up to her carrying a beer.

"How astute of you, Noah," Rachel leaned forward to finish cracking her back and his gaze shifted to her breasts.

"I especially dig the melons."

Finn punched him in the arm but Rachel just smirked. "Well, take a last look because it seems like Wonder Woman might be ready to gouge your eyes out." Sure enough, Quinn was eyeing him dangerously at his obvious leering at Rachel. "I take it she's a jealous drunk?"

"Not so much jealous as angry and mean. She still gets on my case about knocking her up the first time. It happened ten years ago, get over it."

"I can't just 'get over it', Noah! I used to have abs!"

"You still do!"

The couple began arguing when Quinn stumbled her way over to tug a little harder on his leash and keep him in line. And Puck said Finn was whipped. He rolled his eyes at his friends and turned back to his fiancée.

"Ready to go home and celebrate some more?" He waggled his eyebrows playfully at her.

"I would love to but," she yawned widely and her eyes drooped as she realized how sleepy she was, "I'm sleepy, babe. I really want to go home and go to bed."

"Then we'll go to bed."

That night as Finn laid next to Rachel in bed watching her sleep peacefully, he thought about the future. He was beyond thrilled that Rachel was so eager to marry him, but he knew he had things he needed to accomplish before it could happen. He turned onto his side and brushed some hair out of Rachel's eyes, taking in every feature of her beautiful face.

"I promise I will fix this mess I've made, Rachel. I just need some time. Then I swear everything will be perfect." Finn placed a gentle kiss to her forehead and heard Rachel mumble in her sleep. "I love you."

"Love you," she said quietly, still asleep.

Finn sighed and closed his eyes, getting comfortable to join Rachel in dreams.


	20. The Irish

Yes, another update already! I've been a busy bee writing this over the past few days. My goal is to get this fic finished before next semester starts so the updates will be rolling in. Enjoy!

* * *

_It was his first audition for a major motion picture and he was nervous as hell. He hadn't had much luck in the past with auditions and from the looks of the others in the room, he wasn't entirely sure he was right for the part._

_ "Finn Hudson?" the bookish redhead with the large glasses called as she walked out of the casting room again._

_ Finn got to his feet and swallowed harshly, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans, and nearly face planting as he tripped over his own feet on the way to the door. A few of the other men in the room guffawed at his clumsiness and the woman rolled her eyes behind her large frames._

_ A little wobbly, Finn entered the room and the woman closed the door behind him. Sitting behind a table on the opposite side of the room were two older men who stared at Finn with clear judgment in their eyes. They looked him up and down and the one on the right pushed his glasses up his nose and waved his hand at Finn._

_ "State your name and age then please read the highlighted passage." Finn licked his lips and nodded quickly. He flipped the script to the scene he'd been studying for weeks and began to read. "I said name and age first, please."_

_ "Oh, right, sorry. I'm just nervous." The men did not look amused or sympathetic. "Uh, Finn Hudson and nineteen." He smiled to portray a modicum of self-confidence, taking a deep breath, clearing his throat. Finn glanced down at the highlighted paragraph and swallowed again to read the passage. "I can't believe you would-"_

_ "Stop. Please stop." Finn looked up at the casting director with wide eyes. "I'm going to say no."_

_ "But I haven't even-"_

_ "Kid, let me give you some advice. Get an acting coach and a clue. You have zero confidence in yourself or your ability and to be honest, you aren't right for this part anyway. You're too tall, too pale, and far too out of shape. This role calls for a six-pack, not a keg, Beer Belly. Now please, get out of here. I have other hopefuls to read." He waved Finn off and the girl with the glasses escorted him out of the room without a second glance, calling the next man in to read._

_ Finn dragged himself out of the building sighing at his failure. His audition had gone horribly and he was wondering yet again if this whole Hollywood idea was going to work. He'd been there for nearly seven months and the only thing he'd been cast in was a low budget original play about garden gnomes put on at a theatre in someone's basement. Feeling miserable at not even being given a chance and having his look picked apart Finn ambled down the sidewalk to his car until he saw a bar across the street. Remembering his fake ID, Finn darted to the other side of the road and found himself a seat at the bar._

_ Three drinks later, Finn had quite the buzz going and was ready to kill for some chicken wings to dull the pain. When they were finally placed in front of him, he ravaged the first one and as he started on the second he heard a chuckle next to him._

_ "The sauce look is so in this season," a female voice with a soft Irish lilt to it said. "Tough day?" He looked over at the girl who held up a napkin for him. "Here, you could use one."_

_ Finn took the napkin from her and wiped his face. "Thanks," he grumbled._

_ "So, what frustrations are you taking out on that poor defenseless chicken wing?"_

_ Finn took a gulp of his beer. "I don't want to talk about it."_

_ "Oh come on now. I can tell you need someone to talk to." She placed her chin in her hand and leaned on the bar waiting patiently for an answer, her gaze boring into Finn until he caved._

_ With a sigh, Finn leaned on the bar and dropped his head. "I had my first audition for a movie today and it did not go well."_

_ "You're one of 'em too? It seems like everyone I meet in this city is an aspiring actor or screenwriter. Are there no other aspirations for people in this town?" She chuckled._

_ "I think I may quit. I should just go home and forget this ever happened. Go back to college and-"_

_ "You can't do that! You had one bad day, that doesn't mean tomorrow won't be better. If every actor gave up after a bad audition there wouldn't be any actors. If you really want it, you can't give up after one failure."_

_ Finn snorted into his beer before ripping more meat off the bone. "It's not just _one _failure. It's just my biggest one. I've auditioned for dozens of TV shows and even some plays."_

"_Perhaps you just haven't been auditioning for the right parts."_

"_You don't even know me or if I'm talented. Why do you have so much confidence in me?"_

_ "I dunno. Perhaps I'd just like to see your pretty face on TV or in movies."_

_ His cheeks reddened at her flattery. "You think my face is pretty?"_

_ She shrugged and tilted her head back and forth. "I've seen worse," she replied flirtatiously. The woman laughed and Finn couldn't help but laugh too._

_ He wiped his hands and held one out. "Finn Hudson."_

_ "Teagan Flanagan. Very nice to meet you, Finn Hudson."_

_ Finn smiled at Teagan and noticed that her drink was more than half empty. "Would you care for a refill?"_

_ "Why Mr. Hudson, are you looking to buy me a drink?"_

_ "It's the least I could do in exchange for the pep talk."_

_ Teagan narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at him. "Whiskey, neat. If we're going to drink together we're going to drink the good stuff and not that swill in your glass. It's not even an Irish brew."_

_ Finn chuckled and ordered them their drinks, now feeling much better about what started out as a very bad day._

His eyes snapped open as the voice of the captain came over the speaker. Finn's daydream had come to an end and he took a deep breath as he looked at Rachel. He was suffering in a middle seat for her since she required the aisle to make trips to the bathroom easier.

"You okay?" Rachel asked quietly when she noticed his worried expression.

"I'm fine."

She didn't look convinced. "Finn, you aren't still worrying about me going into labor, are you? Dr. Pearl cleared me for travel and the captain just announced we'll be in Los Angeles in about twenty minutes. I've been completely fine the entire flight."

"No, I'm not…I'm not worried about that. I'm just…" He sighed and rubbed his face. "I haven't been here in years and L.A. holds a lot of bad memories for me."

Rachel shifted in her seat and placed her hand on his cheek to turn his head to face her. "Then we'll just have to make some new happy ones." She eyed his mouth and pulled him close for a chaste kiss, mumbling against his lips as it ended. "You aren't meeting with Rory until tomorrow so tonight is all ours."

"I thought you wanted to do all the touristy stuff?"

"We're here for three days, Finn. We can do the touristy stuff tomorrow after you get back from meeting with Rory, and Sunday. But traveling has me ready for bed."

Finn held her face in his hand and kissed her again. "I hope you don't mean just sleeping," he whispered into her mouth.

"Now what would a weekend getaway be if I just slept the entire time?" She sucked on his bottom lip and nuzzled her nose against his. "I cannot wait to get to the hotel. I can't believe you got a suite at the Beverly Wilshire."

"I know how much you love _Real Housewives_ since you always try to make me watch it with you. I thought you'd appreciate spending the weekend in the Hills."

"I do very much."

After landing and waiting for a gate to open up, Finn pushed Rachel in a wheelchair through the airport to the baggage claim, much to her aggravation.

"Finn, I'm pregnant, not elderly. I can still walk."

"Rachel, no offense, but you're not exactly moving that fast these days and I'd really like to get out of the airport before the sun goes down. Just accept the free ride, babe."

She huffed dramatically and rolled her eyes, but settled into the chair and allowed Finn to take care of her. He grabbed all their bags and picked up their rental car and checked them in at their hotel, all while making sure Rachel was comfortable and happy.

So far she loved what she had seen of Los Angeles. Unlike New York it was sunny and warm though it was now the middle of November. The sight of the Hollywood sign in the distance and palm trees, buildings and landmarks she had seen on TV and in movies making her feel as if she were in one herself.

As they made it up to their suite, Rachel glowed as she took in the stately room. When she saw the king sized bed, she sighed in happiness and sat down, lying back on the pillows and breathing in their fresh clean scent. She turned onto her side and snuggled in, her eyes drooping with exhaustion as her adrenaline from arriving in the Golden State subsided. Rachel felt the bed dip next to her and a hand begin to rub her back in gentle circles.

She moaned deeply in appreciation. "Oh my God, that feels fantastic. Your hands are magic." He added some pressure and she arched her back, stretching her arms over her head. Finn hovered over Rachel, pressing his lips to her cheek and she turned onto her back to better see him. "If you keep working my body like this I won't even need the free spa services."

"I'll be your masseuse any day." He pressed his lips to hers and she slid her fingers into his hair.

"Since you're male, you'd be a masseur," she corrected between their short kisses and light touches.

He brushed her hair away from her neck and lightly nibbled along her throat. "Whatever."

The talking ceased from there as Finn helped her undress, pushing her shirt up and over her head, crawling between her thighs to tug her pants down. He lightly nipped and pressed open mouthed kisses along her thighs as he made his way to her center. His fingers brushed over the wet panties covering her skin building the friction that would soon bring her release.

"Finn, don't tease," she mewled, thrusting her hips up to signify her need. "I want you". No longer tired at all, Rachel was ready for her fiancé to make her feel unbelievable.

He picked his head up, leaving his hand at her center, brushing his fingers delicately under her panties and along her swollen sex. "Patience, baby."

"No," she whined like a petulant child. "I need you now." Rachel gripped the pillow beneath her head and ran her foot along his thigh to his groin, feeling his arousal through the material of his jeans. "I think you need me too." She tugged on her bottom lip, staring at him with dark lust filled eyes.

He gripped her thighs and rubbed the tension out of them. "I thought you enjoyed some good foreplay?"

"I do. But right now, you're wearing too many clothes." She touted a cute little pout and Finn took the hint. He yanked his t-shirt off and quickly undid his pants, pushing them down with Rachel's feet as added assistance. Once free of his clothing, Finn relieved Rachel of her panties and she ripped her bra from her chest.

Finn ran his hands along her thighs to her hips, tugging her down the bed and caging her with his arms on either side of her body. She gripped his torso with her legs, digging her heels into his back and smoothed her hands up his arms, feeling his muscles flex beneath his skin. She could feel his cock pressing into her stomach and reached down to take him in her hand, pumping him a few times and grinning as she felt him stiffen further and twitch under her touch. His hand curled around hers and he pressed forward to tease her slick folds, slowly pushing in until he had filled her completely.

Rachel tensed around his girth, making him moan, and began rocking her hips into his. Finn started moving, pumping into her, kissing her softly as they made love. The heat between them was intense and both their hearts were pounding so hard it felt like they were ready to beat right through their skin. Their bodies were dewy as they meshed and moved on the bed. When he began to feel light flutters against his abdomen coming from Rachel's, he pulled back abruptly, and caught sight of some limb pressing out from Rachel's belly. Finn placed his hand on top of it and felt the small taps on his palm.

"Finn, I know you like feeling him kick, but we're kind of in the middle of something." She shimmied her body to display her desire and Finn withdrew and rolled onto the bed next to her. Rachel sat up and climbed atop Finn, getting comfortable and lowering herself onto him once more. She steadily rolled her body back and forth, reveling in the tingle as his cock brushed her spot, her clit grazing along his skin with every downward thrust. Finn slipped his fingers between Rachel's and he gripped her hands tight. Her chest heaved as sweat gathered on their bodies, her breathing heavy with her exertion.

"You're so beautiful, Rachel." Finn's eyes rolled back in his head as Rachel squeezed around his length. Her hand fell from his and she leaned back, propping herself up with her hands on his thighs. Finn's hands landed on her breasts and he ran his thumbs over her pert nipples, cupping her in his palms.

She brushed her fingertips along the velvety hot skin of his cock as she slid down, sliding her fingers over his hips and up to his torso and chest. Rachel let the budding orgasm course through her and her eyes slipped shut as the sensation finally spilled over. She wailed loudly as she came apart digging her nails deeply into Finn's abs, her head falling backward until she could no longer hold herself upright.

Rachel flopped off Finn onto her back, further exhausted from their furious sexual encounter. Unfortunately, Finn had yet to reach completion.

"Baby, I'm still…" He poked her in the hip with his erection but when he looked into Rachel's eyes, they were slowly drooping closed. "Rach…" Her eyes shut completely and her breathing grew much heavier until a snore escaped telling Finn she was out.

He felt slightly used as he watched her turn in her sleep and her mouth fall open, another snore slipping from her lips. Finn sighed and closed his eyes, wrapping his hand around his straining erection and finishing himself off. Once cleaned up, Finn lifted Rachel to help her under the blanket and joined her, attempting to snuggle with her until she smacked him in the face and turned away from him, stretching out and taking up more than half the king sized bed. It seemed as Rachel grew bigger, so did the amount of space she commanded everywhere she went and with the added weight to her chest from her oversized boobs, her usually tolerable snoring became obnoxious.

A couple hours later, Finn woke to find himself alone in an unfamiliar bed. It took a moment to remember he was on vacation but once he did, he also remembered that he hadn't been alone when he fell asleep. Finn got out of bed and found his boxers before venturing out into the living room of their suite. He found Rachel on the couch with a plate of pasta in her hands watching TLC.

"Hey, Sleepyhead. I got you a grilled chicken sandwich but it might be cold by now."

"You ordered room service?" He rubbed his eyes and sat next to Rachel, pulling the lid off his plate and grabbing the food. His stomach grumbled loudly and his mouth watered with hunger.

"Baby and I were hungry. I tried to wait for you to wake up but then you didn't and I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't budge, so I got room service."

Finn kissed her shoulder and settled into the couch, taking a bite out of his chicken and groaning at its tastiness. "Wow, this is great."

"You should try the stuffed shells." She held up a bite for him and he tongued it off the fork, making Rachel's eyes darken considerably.

"Delicious."

Rachel giggled and leaned forward to lick a stray bit of sauce off his lip. "You missed some."

They spent the next few hours playfully feeding each other bits of their dinner and dessert until it turned into a make out and then another few romps in bed. As they cuddled together under the sheets, Rachel apologized for earlier.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep on you. I was just so tired."

"It's okay. Although I was kinda surprised by the sucker punch to the face."

"Oh my gosh! I punched you?! I'm so sorry." She cupped his cheek and kissed him to apologize further.

"I can think of a good way for you to apologize…" He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, deepening it the longer the kiss went on, his hands ghosting over every plane and curve of her body. His hand slipped between her thighs and he lifted her leg to hitch over his hip. He entwined his body with hers, slipping into her quickly, making her gasp in delight.

Finn brushed her hair away from her face and held her cheek as he thrust into her shallow and fast. Their eyes connected deeply before Finn stole a kiss, nibbling on her lip, soothing the bite with his tongue. Rachel wrapped her hand around his wrist, feeling his strong and fast pulse under her fingers. As she tightened around his length, she could feel him throbbing, nearly ready to come undone.

"So close, Finn. More…" She whined, turning on the bed to lie on her back, pushing herself down as Finn pushed up. She ended up sideways on the bed with both legs thrown over Finn's body while he continued to pump into her from beside her, getting deeper each time. He leaned up on his elbow and tugged her legs apart, dipping his hand low to tease her swollen nub as he thrust repeatedly.

Rachel arched her body on the bed, tearing at the sheets and pillows around her while her nerves flamed from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. With every stroke Finn made, Rachel was losing her mind in the best way possible. Then everything went blank as colors burst behind her eyelids, the fire raging in her belly while she shattered and came back together.

This time, Finn didn't hold back when he felt Rachel losing it. He held himself inside her as he pulsed and spilled hot and fast. Finn continued his thrusts as he finished until he finally softened and came to rest. The sated couple was still as they allowed their bodies to calm down. After a few minutes, Rachel pushed herself into a sitting position and stared down at Finn.

"He's kicking again if you want to feel." Their son had been resting comfortably for much of the night until they had started going at it again.

Finn sat up immediately and moved next to Rachel, laying his head on her belly. He felt the pressure of his son pushing out against his cheek and pressed a kiss to the spot. "Hey, buddy. It's Daddy. I just wanted to say hi and that Mommy and I are sorry for waking you up all the time. I'm sure someday you'll understand why Mommy and I do this so often." Rachel giggled and played with his hair. "But I know you always get us back by waking Mommy up in the middle of the night which wakes Daddy up."

"How does that wake you up? Whenever I wake up to use the bathroom you continue on like a log."

"Because when you go back to sleep you start snoring again and it's like a chainsaw in my ear. While I love that you're stacked, those boobs of yours do not help your breathing."

Rachel shoved at his head and he flew back laughing on his back as Rachel moved to straddle him. His hands landed on her stomach and he could feel his son settling down again now that their activities were over.

"What time are you meeting with Rory tomorrow?"

"Around noon at his place."

Rachel sighed and rolled off Finn again to lie next to him. "Not that I'm not thrilled that you surprised me with a weekend getaway…but I do wonder about the timing, and why you chose L.A. if you hate it here so much. We could have gone anywhere."

Finn stared at the ceiling and shrugged. "The weather is so dreary in New York and we won't exactly have time for vacations after Baby gets here, so I thought I'd get us out of the city while we still could. I know you love movies and TV so I figured Hollywood would be a good trip and then I could visit Rory. Two birds, one stone." He sat up and wove his arms around Rachel's body to hold her.

"Well, thank you." Rachel held his chin and lightly pecked him on the lips. "It's late. We should get to bed."

"You gonna punch me again or am I allowed to snuggle?"

"We can snuggle." Rachel moved to get under the blankets. "Now get under here with me."

Finn turned off the lights and crawled in behind her, sidling into her and kissing her shoulder. "I love you, Rachel."

"I love you too, Finn."

As they grew quiet for the night, memories plagued Finn while he tried to fall asleep.

_He rushed into his apartment, joy filling him until he was about to explode. "Teagan!" he yelled out to his girlfriend, ready to tell her his splendid news. "Teagan, are you home?!"_

_ "In the kitchen!" he heard her call to him and he rushed in to find her cooking dinner. "What's going on, Finn?"_

_ His chest rose and fell quickly with his heavy breathing. "I told you I had an audition today, right?"_

_ "I know."_

_ "I got it."_

_ Teagan's lips stretched into a smile. "You got the part?"_

_ "I got the part!" He rushed forward and picked Teagan up, spinning her around and giving her a big kiss. "It's just a small part in a commercial…"_

_ "There are no small parts, only small actors." Teagan unwound herself from Finn and stood in front of him, hands firmly on his shoulders. "This calls for a celebration. How about you get your best suit on, I'll put on a sexy little dress, we can call up Rory and his girl, and hit the Strip?"_

_ "The Strip?"_

_ Teagan turned around and pulled the pot off the burner to turn off the stove. "Have you ever been to Vegas, Finn? I've always wanted to go and what could be a better reason than a celebration?"_

_ "You really want to go to Vegas?"_

_ She nodded. "Unless it conflicts with your shooting schedule?"_

_ "I don't start until next week."_

_ "Perfect!"_

_ "Wait, don't you have class tomorrow?"_

_ Teagan swallowed hard and put on a smile that looked false. "It's only one day. I don't have anything due or any tests. We can spend the entire weekend there if we want."_

_ "If you're really okay with skipping class."_

_ "Perfectly fine. Now go pack! I'll call Rory and we can all go." She pushed him into the hallway to get him into his bedroom, giggling._

_ A few hours later, Finn found himself dropping his bags off in a hotel room none of them could really afford for a weekend at Caesar's Palace, but were splurging on anyway. He'd regret it when he saw his credit card bill, but for now he wasn't too worried._

_ "So what do you want to do first?" Rory asked as he looked at a Las Vegas guide he'd found in the lobby._

_ "We should get dinner first. I'm starving," Teagan suggested, rubbing her stomach._

_ Finn nodded in agreement. "Good idea. I'm hungry too."_

_ Two hours later they were finishing dinner at the hotel restaurant, starting to get drunk._

_ "To Finn! Without his landing his first role, none of us would be here right now," Teagan toasted. They all raised their glasses. "Now, let's get wasted and party!" She pulled Finn's mouth to hers abruptly and kissed him so hard his head began to spin._

The next morning Finn woke up unaware of his surroundings again but this time he wasn't alone. The night prior came flooding back and he smiled as he stretched. "Morning, baby," he greeted Rachel when he noticed her watching him.

"How'd you sleep? Did my snoring wake you at all?" she teased.

"I slept great, baby. I feel so good."

"I'm glad. Unfortunately, you've overslept. You're supposed to be at Rory's in thirty minutes."

"What?!" Finn eyed the clock and threw the blankets off. "I have to go."

"Finn! Finn, calm down. I worked it all out when Rory called earlier to make sure you were still coming. Rory is going to meet us here and we're all going to go out to lunch together then you two can go do your bromance stuff while I shop on Rodeo." She patted his chest and slipped out of bed fully dressed and ready for the day. "Now, get up and get showered. We have less than hour until we're supposed to meet Rory at the restaurant."

Ten minutes past noon, when the two men met up again after seven years, it seemed as if no time had passed at all. They hugged and shook hands and Finn was so happy to see his old friend.

"I can't believe it's been seven years. You look good, man."

"Thanks, man. You do too. You're wearing a lot less green than you used to," Finn chuckled as they walked to their table.

"That would be due to Elena. She picks out nearly all my clothes because she says I can't dress myself."

"Sounds like my version of Kurt." Rachel cleared her throat and Finn realized that she hadn't been properly introduced. "Rory, I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Rachel. Rachel…Rory." He tugged Rachel forward and she put her hand out for Rory to shake.

Getting his first good look at her, his eyes widened when they landed on her stomach. "Wow, you've been busy since you left." He shook Rachel's hand. "It's a pleasure, Rachel."

"The pleasure is all mine. Finn has told me only the nicest things about you."

They sat down at the table and Rachel started perusing the menu as Finn and Rory caught up. "Y'know, I couldn't believe it when Elena told me you were on the phone. I thought she had heard the name wrong."

"Yeah, man, I'm sorry about ditching. I was just…it was rough my last month here."

"I remember. Teagan really messed you up."

Finn's eyes widened and he subtly tried to tell Rory to shut up about Teagan. He didn't want Rachel to know about her if he could help it. He should have mentioned that when he spoke to him, but Finn wasn't expecting Rachel to be at lunch with them.

"Teagan? Who's Teagan?" Rachel inquired, tilting her head in question.

"Oh, Teagan's my sister. She-"

"…Is how Rory and I met. We were friends first but had a falling out." Rachel nodded in understanding and Finn hoped she wouldn't look any further into it. "So, where is Elena? I thought you'd bring her with you for lunch."

"Elena's home with the kids. She's 37 weeks pregnant too, so she doesn't like leaving the house too much lately."

"Guess I'm not the only one who's been busy since I left."

"We're on kid number three. She's basically been pregnant ever since we got married."

"You're married?!" Finn was genuinely shocked.

Rory took a sip of his water. "I would have sent you an invitation but I didn't know your address and you deleted your Facebook and changed your phone number. It's like you didn't want to be found."

He glanced down in shame remembering how he had left California with no warning and without saying goodbye to anyone. For years he attempted to strike his time in Los Angeles from his memory and his life in nearly every way. "Yeah, I needed a fresh start."

"I'd bet. So, how have the last seven years been treating you? You must be doing pretty well from the looks of things?"

Lunch moved smoothly as they discussed their lives since last seeing each other. Teagan was mentioned a few more times and Finn tried very hard to seem nonchalant every time she came up, but thankfully Rory seemed to understand that Finn wanted to keep mum about her and didn't say anything too revealing.

When lunch had finally finished, Rachel left the men to themselves for a shopping excursion and they headed to Venice Beach, a former hangout of theirs.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this. I haven't skateboarded since college."

"It's like riding a bike. Just do it." Rory pushed him and he rolled into the bowl. As he attempted to ride the rim of the bowl on the opposite side, Finn lost his balance and ate it in front of the numerous teenagers hanging around. Rory rolled up next to him and put out his hand to help him up. "When did you become such an old man? Tony Hawk has about twenty years on you and he's still riding like a pro."

"That's because he is a pro." Finn brushed the dirt off and kicked the end of his board to reach it with his hand. "Let's try that again."

The friends bonded over skateboarding, feeling like they were nineteen again with no worries or responsibilities, nothing plaguing their minds. Just friends hanging out. When they were finished they headed to the bar they would always patron after skateboarding or surfing.

"This place has not changed at all…except for the bartender. She's much prettier than Joe," Finn noticed as they sat at the bar and got a couple beers.

"Finn, what are you doing back here? You disappear without a trace, we don't hear from you for seven years, and out of the blue you call asking if we could talk while you're here and you show up with a pregnant woman, who I _know_ is not your wife."

"That's why I'm here. I need to get in contact with Teagan."

"And you want me to find her for you?"

"I would appreciate it."

Rory nodded and took a pull on his beer. "Why didn't you just ask for her phone number when you called? You didn't need to come all the way out here."

"I need to talk to her in person."

He took a deep breath. "I can give you her number and address but I don't think you'll be seeing her this weekend if that was your intention."

"Why is that?"

"Because she lives in Philadelphia now with her boyfriend. She moved about three years ago."

Finn groaned in frustration and leaned his head down on the bar. "Fantastic."

"At least she'll be close enough for a day trip." Rory chuckled and took another swig. "Rachel's the reason you're looking for her now, isn't she?"

"When did you figure that out?"

"The minute I saw the belly on her, then the ring on her finger. I'm assuming the pregnancy wasn't planned?"

Finn shook his head. "One night stand."

"Wow," Rory chuckled, "you really don't have the best luck with women, do you?"

"Not really. Which is why Rachel can never know about Teagan. I don't want her to find out how stupid I was and that there was anyone else before her. We've had enough problems and we're finally in a good place and I don't want to lose that."

"Don't you think she'd appreciate the truth more than a lifelong lie? And why would you bring her with you on a mission to find your ex? Didn't that seem a bit sketchy?"

"I brought her because it would have been more suspicious to come alone and she's at the point she could pop any day and I don't want to miss the birth of my son. And we could use a vacation. What Rachel doesn't know, won't hurt her. The last thing I want to do is hurt her."

Rory didn't look so sure. "Finn, if we're going to be cliché, honesty is the best policy."

"I have been honest with her about everything…except this. This is my biggest humiliation and shame."

"Hey, hey, be careful. That's my sister you're talking about."

"Yeah? Well, she's also a heartless bitch."

"I suppose that's true." Rory paused. "I really think you should tell her. This will come back to bite you in the arse."

"I've kept it secret from everyone I know for seven years. I think I can handle it."

Rory put his hand on his friend's shoulder and stared him in the eye. "If you really love her, you'll tell her the truth. And if she really loves you, she'll understand. You were a kid who made an impulsive decision for someone you loved."

"And I paid for that mistake."

"You could have amended it anytime over the past seven years. Why are you waiting until now? Why would you propose without fixing it?"

"Another impulsive mishap."

"You seem to have a lot of those. Do you actually want to marry Rachel or are you just doing this because you got her pregnant?"

"I love Rachel. I want to marry her because I love her and I want to build a life with her. The baby is the reason we got together but he's not the only reason we're staying together."

He sighed and finished off his beer. "I don't condone your decision to keep this from Rachel, but I'll help you find Teagan. Give me your phone." Finn handed it over and Rory typed in his sister's information. "Rachel just texted you. She went back to the hotel for a nap."

"That means I should probably head back to meet her when she wakes up."

"What? We haven't seen each other in nearly a decade and now you're ditching me again?"

"We both have pregnant ladies waiting for us."

"This is true. Elena is probably going mad alone with the boys. She's so happy this new one is a girl."

"Who knows, maybe your girl and my boy will be friends someday."

Rory snorted humorously. "That won't be awkward considering our history," he replied with sarcasm.

"Weirder things have happened." Finn put his hand on Rory's shoulder in brotherly affection. "Rory, it's been great seeing you again."

"You too, Finn. Maybe this time we can actually keep in touch."

"Of course. Maybe next time we can get Elena and Rachel together. They can trade pregnancy war stories and fight about whose kid is cuter…which will be mine."

"I don't think so. As someone who has two kids already, I know that Elena and I make adorable babies."

"There's no saying the third time will be the charm."

"Are you trying to call my kid ugly?"

Finn tried to hide his grin. "I'm sure she'll be adorable. She'll get those cute chubby cheeks of yours." He pinched his cheek to mock him and Rory punched him in the arm.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Finn laughed again. "I'll see you around, Rory. Thanks for the info and helping me out."

"I hope everything works out for you. But don't be surprised when it blows up in your face again."

"It won't."

Rory nodded once, getting out of his chair. "It was good seeing you again, Finn. Tell Rachel it was lovely to meet her. Bye, Finn."

When Finn arrived back at the hotel after making his way through the notorious L.A. traffic, he found their room devoid of Rachel but containing a note telling him she was down at the pool and had left her phone upstairs. When he found her lounging in the shade of an umbrella, he low whistled again when he saw what she was wearing.

"A bikini?"

Rachel looked down at her red halter bikini top. "I forgot to pack my tankini so I bought a new bathing suit while shopping. I figured if all the pregnant celebrities can wear one, I can too. Do you not like it?" She suddenly felt very self-conscious, pulling a towel over her stomach.

"No, I love it. You look so sexy, Rach." He sat on the chair next to her and tugged the towel down. I like that the bottom and top have ties. It will be so much easier to take it off of you when we get back upstairs."

Rachel blushed and stared down shyly at Finn's hand running over her stomach, toying with the ends of the strings. "But I want to go to the beach. That's why I bought this bathing suit and came downstairs to wait for you. I thought we could go to Venice Beach and walk the boardwalk, get some dinner over that way, go to the shops there."

"You mean you aren't tired from walking all over Rodeo Drive?"

"Nope. My afternoon snack and nap were very rejuvenating. I feel like I could tackle everything in L.A. right now."

"Then back to the beach it is." He kissed her and helped lift her off the lounge chair to go have some fun in the sun with the woman he loved.

_"I now pronounce you man and wife," the officiator declared to everyone in the chapel, which consisted of only Rory and Elena. "You may now kiss the bride." They clapped loudly as Finn and Teagan kissed for the first time as a married couple._

_ He couldn't believe he was married. Married! It was the craziest thing he had ever done, marrying a woman he had only been dating for two months. But somehow it didn't feel wrong. He loved Teagan and she obviously loved him too if she wanted to marry him, spend the rest of her life with him. They had a lot to do to really make their marriage work, but those things would resolve themselves down the line. Right now, he was just happy that he was married to the woman he loved._

Finn snorted with scorn. He had been so stupid, so naïve and gullible, to blindly agree to something so big and so life altering as marriage. If he had known her true intentions, the real reason she wanted to marry him so suddenly…he would never have agreed, especially if he had known how it all would turn out.

But at the same time…if everything with Teagan hadn't gone down, there was a very high possibility that he never would have met Rachel, he wouldn't be having a son, he wouldn't have all the good things in life that he possessed.

That didn't change the fact that he had to fix his mess. Rory had been right, he could have filed for divorce anytime in the last seven years, but he never bothered. Teagan never spoke to him, never bothered him for anything once they were done, Finn never had reason to seek a divorce since he had never been that serious with anyone to want to get one, and remaining married was a persistent reminder of his mistake and not to make it again. Finn snorted. That had worked out _so_ well for him. All he ever seemed to do was make mistake after mistake.

"Mr. Hudson?" a man in an expensive suit called as he stepped out of his office.

"Yes, hi, hello." Finn shook the man's hand and followed him into his office, sitting in the seat he was offered.

"Mr. Hudson, what can I do for you today?"

Finn swallowed thickly and bounced his knee. He looked out the large window at the gray Manhattan skyline, sweat on his brow as he worried more and more. The first thing he had done upon arriving home from Los Angeles that Monday morning was seek out a damn good divorce attorney and set up an emergency meeting with him. He needed this thing to go quick and easy and he wanted the papers ready to sign once he found Teagan. Finn had been berating himself for not thinking of it sooner. Not that it mattered since she hadn't been in L.A. anyway, but now that he was home, he was going to be prepared.

"I need a divorce…now."


	21. The Papers

I feel like a broken record here, but I do apologize again for the delay. The holidays, chores, my grandpa being in the hospital, and my broken charger just built up and it got difficult to write. But holidays are over, chores are done, grandpa is home and healthy, and my charger has been replaced so writing has re-commenced. This chapter was going to be longer but I decided to split it up to get something posted for you all. Enjoy!

* * *

Finn swore he could spend the rest of his life content in his bed watching Rachel sleep if allowed such freedom. Rachel always thought she looked like the living dead in the morning and always tried to sneak out of a morning kiss to brush her teeth first, but Finn never let her. He didn't care about morning breath or bed head or any of her other concerns, Rachel was the most beautiful woman he had ever known and loved every little bit of her, even the parts she herself didn't care for.

Rachel was dead to the world however when Finn had to get up and ready for the day. As much as he wanted to spend his day off taking care of Rachel, he had important business to handle. The papers had been drafted, the conditions set, and all that remained was the signing of the document that would free Finn of his marriage. He had so eagerly signed his name the ink was barely dry on the page before his lawyer mailed the papers off. Teagan was a different story however. Finn had sent the papers the day they had been finished which was well over a week ago, but they had yet to be sent back. He was growing impatient with the delay because every day spent married to her was another day he couldn't be married to Rachel.

While he showered he found himself wondering yet again if he was doing the right thing by keeping Teagan and his marriage a secret from Rachel. It had seemed the right thing to do to protect her from any hurt, but as the days grew more and more without a resolution, he wasn't certain anymore that keeping the truth from her was the best course of action. He didn't want Rachel to find out through some third party about his past; even though third parties that knew of his past were scarce there was still always a possibility. If she was going to find out from anyone it should be him. Plus, that nightmare he had about Teagan showing up and ruining his life was a pretty strong indicator of how his subconscious felt on the matter. It was awful. She spilled the beans and Rachel and their baby dissolved into dust in his hands while Teagan turned into the Sea Witch from _The Little Mermaid_, laughing manically while he tried to put the particles that were his love back together without a scrap of luck. He awoke in a cold sweat and nearly in tears which really concerned Rachel who had been fighting to wake him up. Even Disney cartoons his fiancée forced him to watch were working against him.

Perhaps he should tell her. But only after the divorce was finalized. Maybe if he explained everything she would forgive him and not go all chick batty on him like she had early on in their relationship. Her hormones lately had seemed to mellow out a bit more, unless she was watching a chick flick or he left the toilet seat up, and she knew him better than she did back then, she loved him and trusted him to tell her the truth which was why he had to now. Teagan had to sign the papers today and he had to get divorced.

After his shower he dried off quickly and tried not to think about anything but his task for the day. The debate to tell or not to tell Rachel was not his most pressing issue at the moment. No, that was reserved for his ex and if he was going to achieve his goal he would have to keep his wits about him and his mind free of excess conflict. But as he exited the bathroom, towel slung around his hips, all thoughts but one left his brain entirely.

Sitting on the bed in only his Giants t-shirt with sexy tousled hair and sleepy eyes, Rachel released the most adorable yawn, stretching her arms over her head to expose her rotund belly. At 34 weeks she was quite large, and grumbly about it, but Finn found her incredibly sexy.

"Morning, baby," she welcomed him with sleep in her voice, smiling happily as she squinted at him and rubbed circles over her stomach. She laid back down on the pillows and stretched her body as best she could, kicking the blankets down to expose her bare legs. Finn's mind grew even more focused on that one thing left in his head. But then she frowned. "Where are you going?"

She looked beyond adorable with her cute little pout and he wished above all else to jump back into bed with her and never leave, but he had to. He couldn't let Teagan take away more days like today from him. "I have a few errands to run today and a meeting."

"Oh! I'll come with you!" She started trying to push herself to the edge of the bed but Finn sat next to her, placing his hand on her leg to stop her.

"Babe, I'll be gone all day and it's going to be boring." Little did Rachel know, he and Mike had planned a whole special girls' day for Rachel and Tina to get pampered. They were going to have a blast.

"You're going to leave me here by myself? I want to spend the day with you. You've been so busy at work with the holidays coming up, I feel like I've hardly seen you."

It was killing him to deny her anything when she looked so sad. "Babe, I wish I could stay home with you all day, but I have an important meeting I have to go to." He really did.

"Can't Noah handle it?"

Finn snorted. "This isn't something Puck can handle. It's my responsibility." Her lower lip wobbled and she solemnly nodded her head. "But, hey, you won't be here alone." She tilted her head in intrigue. "Mike and Tina are coming in about two hours and he's taking you both out for a surprise."

Rachel's ears perked at that. "Where is he taking us?"

"It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it?"

"But I hate surprises," she whined. "You know I hate them."

"I know, but once they're revealed you love them."

"That is true. You spoil me too much."

"It's nice to have someone to spoil who actually appreciates it."

Rachel smiled and leaned closer for a light kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning her forehead against his.

"What is it?"

Rachel pulled back to look him in the eye. "Sometimes it just hits me all at once and I can't fathom it."

"Not following…"

"That you love me. For a long time I didn't think I'd find my match. Jesse and Brody seemed like the types that were perfect for me, even though they both failed. When you asked me to be your pretend girlfriend, you didn't seem like what I wanted or needed so it honestly scared me how much I liked you despite that after we slept together." Rachel nuzzled against his chest and they snuggled close. "I didn't think you would ever like me beyond a booty call. I'm so happy to be proved wrong. I was just so scared because I didn't think it was real or ever could be. That's why I reacted so poorly all those times. I thought you would hurt me, but by pushing you away, I was only hurting myself and I understand that now. I'll admit, even after we started dating, I was still worried that you were only sticking around for the baby, but I know now it's more than that. You love _me_, despite every bad thing that's happened and my intense personality and crazy hormones. You make me feel loved and special and I wouldn't feel that way if it weren't real. I love you, and I _know_ you love me too, even if I can't always believe it or understand it."

Finn's heart clenched in his chest with the conclusion of Rachel's speech and he knew all that it meant. It wasn't any one thing that was the reason he loved Rachel, it was hundreds of little things combined into one beautiful person that made him love her. It was the sparkle in her eyes whenever she was excited about something, it was how she sang like a siren calling him to her with each note, how passionate she got when talking about anything, how she dreamed big enough for the whole of New York, her ups and her downs, everything. With Rachel, Finn's love was more than he could ever express with words and that was something he had never experienced in his life. Unlike with other women he'd been with in the past, it wasn't the lack of words that made him doubt his love; it was the lack of words that made him know it was real. There just weren't words strong enough to describe it.

And that was why he had to tell her. Rory had been right.

She tilted her head back to look up at him and tugged his head down to kiss him. "Wait," he paused just before her lips could press to his.

"What?"

"I…I…" But then he caught a glimpse of the time. It was Rachel's special day and he didn't want to ruin it for her before it began. And the conversation they needed to have might go smoother if he had the divorce papers signed and was officially a free man. "I love you."

"I love you too." She gave him a soft kiss that was then interrupted by the loud gurgle of a stomach. "Was that you or me?"

Finn chuckled. "I think it was me."

"Let me get breakfast going then."

"No, no. You stay in bed. I'll make breakfast today. Today is all about pampering you."

Her eyebrow popped up as she watched him throw on some boxers. "Oh really? Is that a hint about where Mike will be taking Tina and me?"

"Do you want bacon or sausage? Why am I asking? I know the answer will be both." He smirked at her and ducked out of the room leaving Rachel alone to relax.

A few hours later as Finn walked up to the door which his soon-to-be ex-wife should be behind, he was anything but relaxed. He hadn't seen Teagan in nearly a decade and the thought of seeing her again after all these years terrified him just the slightest. Based on the building and section of Philadelphia she lived in, Teagan appeared to be doing quite well for herself.

Finn knocked on the door of the loft, and heard some barking coming from behind the wood followed by a crass Irish accent. It was definitely her.

"Can I help you?" she answered before recognition slapped her across the face and she paled. "Finn Hudson?! Is that you?"

"Uh, yeah." Seven years and that was the first thing he said to her. A little more eloquently, he began again after clearing his throat. "Hi, Teagan."

A little Yorkie ran up to Finn and started yipping at him and pawing at his legs and Teagan unfroze and refocused. "Finn, oh my… I haven't seen you in years. What are you doing here?"

"I think you know why I'm here."

A door opened down the hall and a middle aged woman poked her head out. "Can you please shut that dog up? My grandson is trying to take a nap."

She scowled at the woman and nudged the tiny dog back inside the house with her foot. "In ya go, Hyde. Ya little terror…" Teagan turned her attention back to Finn. "Come in, we'll talk inside."

Finn stepped through the doorway and was quite surprised by the opulence he found around him. "You seem to be doing pretty well," he commented as he glanced around at all the fancy stuff.

"If you can call being a mistress 'well'. It does pay off but it definitely isn't what I pictured for myself."

Finn could sense a long and dark story behind that comment but ignored it getting to the crux of the matter. "Why haven't you signed the papers, Teagan?"

"Ooh, right to the point." She plopped down on the leather couch and rubbed the spot next to her. "Join me?" Finn crossed his arms over his chest and remained rooted to the spot as the Yorkie jumped up next to her instead. "Fine, stand. Anyway, I haven't signed your papers yet because I'm being very thorough in reading them."

"It took you over a week and a half to read them? It's pretty straightforward. It's not like we have kids or property to split between us. I gave you what you wanted when I didn't have to. The least you could do is return the favor."

"Why should I grant you this divorce? Why now? I've been half expecting to hear from your lawyer for several years and nothing and now suddenly you want to undo what was done so long ago?"

"I have my reasons. Look, there's no benefit to us being married anymore. You have your citizenship. You don't need me to stay in the country. So just sign the papers and I'll gladly get out of your hair."

Teagan eyed him for a moment before standing from the couch. "Are you hungry? I could really go for some food. You ever have an authentic Philly cheesesteak?"

"I'm not here for a cheesesteak, Teagan! Just sign the papers and give them to me!" He was growing impatient with her stalling.

"Look, as I have the papers and it's my signature you need on them, I have the advantage here so you'll do what I want if you expect to get what you want. I want a cheesesteak, so get your arse out of the way so I can get my coat."

Though he hated to admit it, she was right. She shoved him out of the way and opened the closet door to grab her coat. As she did so, a gray fur ball jumped from the top shelf of the closet and knocked over a vase full of flowers in the hallway.

"Jekyll! You beast! Go to your bed!" she screeched at the retreating cat.

"Jekyll and Hyde. Fitting names for the pets of someone so two-faced," Finn bit. Teagan glared dangerously at him and ripped her front door open. Fuming silently and cursing her under his breath, Finn followed Teagan out the door and down the street.

"Which car is yours?"

"You're the one who wants the cheesesteak. You drive."

"I'm the one with the papers. You drive."

Finn muttered more curses under his breath as he led the way to Puck's car he borrowed for the day. On the drive to Pat's King of Steaks, Teagan played incessantly with the radio and other settings in the car to Finn's utter annoyance. She sang along out of tune with the words to crappy top 40 songs and he cringed at the sound and felt only anger rising as he watched her. What he had ever seen in Teagan he didn't know and he was beyond thankful that he grew up and met Rachel. He was missing her beautiful voice and sheer star power as Teagan continued on like a dying cat.

By the time he found a parking spot nearby Pat's, ordered their food – and paid for it at Teagan's insistence, and grabbed a table, a solid two hours had passed. Finn asked repeatedly for her to sign, but she said nothing as she stuffed her face with greasy meat and cheese until she had satisfied her hunger. Under any other circumstances, Finn would have happily engulfed his own cheesesteak, but being he was sharing a meal with Teagan…he wasn't all that hungry.

"Okay, I got you your damn cheesesteak. Now will you sign?"

"Know what would go really good with that? A beer." She stood up and walked back to the car, waiting expectantly for him as he sat there in the cold wind with a partially eaten sandwich, ire clear on his face. "I haven't got all day y'know?"

Finn stuffed the remainder of his food into the bag and joined her at the car. She told him to head home and park the car and they could walk to her favorite bar close to her loft.

Teagan did well at stalling for another two hours as she talked about herself and what she had been up to since Finn had left L.A. It turned out dropping out of school to pursue a career as a freelance photographer had blown up in her face, similarly to the way Finn's dream had panned out, and that was when she turned to odd jobs to pay the rent. One of which was a phone sex operator. Turned out she met her biggest client in person and he took to her immediately. It didn't matter he was married with a family; he wanted her and made her his mistress. He had even moved her to Philadelphia with him when his company opened an east coast branch and paid for her swanky loft and all her possessions.

"Well, if you just sign the papers, I'll let you get back to your lover," Finn sniped as she paused to take a sip of her beer.

"Trust me, that is not something I want to do. He's getting quite old and wrinkles are only cute on Shar Pei's." She flagged down the bartender and ordered them each another beer even though Finn had yet to start his first one.

"Then how about instead of using the rich old bastard, you break it off and finally take care of yourself for once," then he turned to bitter sarcasm, "Oh, I forgot, you aren't a nice person."

Teagan pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. "When did you become such a cynical arse?"

"Around the time I figured out the only reason you married me."

"Okay, you're right. I could have been a bit nicer about that and handled it better. But I was only 20 years old and desperate not to get kicked out of the country and be forced to return home to tend sheep. You were my only option."

"You could have stayed in school. That was an option."

"School wasn't working for me, Finn."

"Oh, and being some old man's mistress is so much better than getting through four years of school to get a degree. What happens when he wants a younger woman and kicks you to the curb?"

"I may be a mistress, but I'm not stupid. I'm a certified cosmetologist and Henry financed my own shop. Can't say it pays all that much which is why I stay with Henry. He takes care of me and actually loves me which isn't something I can say about everyone in me life."

"When you treat people like garbage that's bound to happen," Finn replied sourly.

Teagan's face softened and she gently rested her hand on his arm. "Look, Finn…after I did what I did, I felt really bad." Finn snorted derisively. "I regret it every day. You were sweet and kind and you really did love me and I took advantage of that. I'm sorry."

"Why don't I believe you for a second?"

"Finn, I'm trying to bury the hatchet here. Start over again?"

"I don't want to start over again. Not with you."

"Finn, we were kids back then. Are you really going to hold it against me forever?"

"I can certainly try."

Teagan scoffed. "You had seven years of opportunities to divorce me yet you haven't. Something in you must still have feelings for me to keep that hope. Perhaps the timing just wasn't right then. But you're back now. Maybe this is a sign."

"A sign of what? What is your angle here? You never loved me, you loved that I loved you, but it was never mutual. Why is it when I decide to divorce you finally you suddenly play nice and want me back? I don't want you. Don't think that just because I waited until now to ask for a divorce means that I have any lingering feelings for you. You were just never worth the time or aggravation of a divorce."

Just then Finn's phone rang, breaking through the noise of the bar. He checked the caller and saw it was Rachel, sighing in relief at the distraction from his disastrous meeting with Teagan. "Excuse me."

Finn left the table they were sitting at and headed for the door. He answered the phone and tried to sound cheery. "Hey babe, what's up?"

"_Hi, Finn. I just missed you. I haven't heard from you all day and I was wondering how you were doing._"

Finn couldn't keep the smile off his face. "I'm great now. You have no idea how much I miss you."

"_Meeting going that poorly?_"

"I've had better ones. Enough about me. How's your day going?" He hoped she enjoyed his little surprise.

"_Fabulous. You picked a winner with this spa. I am sorry to inform you that I found some magic hands that might be better than yours._"

"I don't like the sound of this place," he half joked.

"_Don't be jealous. I still prefer your hands. They're bigger._"

"That probably means that some of my other parts are bigger too."

Rachel began to laugh loudly. "_I would say so considering Nell is a woman._"

"Oh, well, that's better then. Did you get to lunch yet? I looked at their menu at the restaurant and they have all your favorites, except for the bacon cheddar cheeseburger."

"_Yes, I had this apple chicken thing. It was delicious. But I could really go for a cheeseburger now that you mentioned it. You would be the best fiancé ever-_"

Finn chuckled again as he cut her off, "I'll stop by the restaurant on the way home and get you one."

"_You're the best babe. I love you._"

"I love you too, Rach."

He heard her speaking quietly to Tina and wondered what was going on. "_Finn? I need to go. My facial is in five minutes and I need to use the bathroom. So, I'll see you at home with my cheeseburger. I love you and Baby says he loves you too."_

"Love you and tell Baby I love him. I'll see you at home. Tell Tina I say hi and have a good time."

They hung up and Finn pocketed his phone as he looked around. He hated being in Philly while his fiancée was back home in New York. He needed to get the papers signed and now.

Finn entered the bar again and found Teagan where he left her checking her teeth in her compact. "Okay Teagan, I've done everything you've asked, now where are the papers?"

"Who was on the phone?" She clapped the compact shut and leaned back in the booth.

"None of your business. Now sign the papers and hand them over."

"Ever since I got served with the papers, I've been wondering why now? What would finally push you to ask for a divorce? And now I know. You've got a girlfriend, a serious one from the sound of it. A baby, Finn?" Finn's face reddened as he realized she had been eavesdropping on his conversation. "And I'd bet everything I own that…Rach, was it...doesn't know that you're here with me. I bet she doesn't even know who I am."

Finn grew silent and stared at the table in an effort not to betray anything. As much as he didn't want Rachel to know about Teagan, he wanted Teagan to know about Rachel even less.

"Here's how it's going to work, Finn. If you don't want me to spill the beans to your precious new girl, you're going to do everything I say."

"I don't have to do anything you say because Rachel does know everything," he lied through his teeth. He was bluffing big time, but he knew Teagan and what she was capable of and he didn't want her interfering with Rachel at all. Finn only hoped she would believe his lie.

Teagan eyed him carefully looking for any tell he could give. "And she's okay with you visiting your ex alone?"

"She knows it has to be done to get you to sign the papers. Rachel knows all about us so you have no advantage here. You should just sign the papers and move on with your sugar daddy."

"Oh you would like that, wouldn't you?"

Finn's eyebrow popped up. "Uh, yeah. That's why I said it."

Teagan took a deep breath and released it slowly as she unfurled her folded arms, pulling her purse into her lap. She dug through the large bag until she pulled out a mailer. Somewhat reluctantly, Teagan took the papers out and grabbed a pen. She signed in all the right places and put the papers back in the pouch, sliding it across the table.

"There, happy now?"

Finn tried his best not to beam. He was free. "Thank you, Teagan."

She waved him off. "Get home to your girl." Teagan stood up and sauntered away from the table and out the door.

Feeling triumphant, Finn opened the folder and pulled the papers out to celebrate his moment. Everything seemed in order until he got to the last page. Where Teagan's signature should be was instead a message.

_I always get what I want._

Well, that was ominous. Finn leaped to his feet and ran after Teagan but she had disappeared. He rushed to her apartment but she was either not there or very good at hiding. He hung around for a while until the super of her building came and forced him to leave with the threat of calling the cops.

Angry beyond words, Finn trudged out to his car and threw a hissy fit at the turn of events. He nearly had everything and because of one signature he had lost it all. Now that Teagan knew about Rachel, he had to get home and come clean, even if it meant ruining his fiancée's perfect day.

Rachel had to know now before it all could really blow up in his face.


	22. The Confession

By the time Rachel returned home from her spa turned shopping day with Tina, she was beyond exhausted and ready for bed. Though it was only around eight pm, when she walked through the door she was ready to collapse.

"I don't think I've ever had such a relaxing girls' day in my life. That was such a nice surprise, Finn." She dropped her bags by the foot of the stairs and hung up her coat to join her fiancé on the couch. He seemed tense as she sidled up to him and his mouth was set in a hard line while the grip on his beer tightened. His meeting must have gone very poorly. "Are you okay?"

He swallowed hard and continued to stare at the TV. "Not really."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Finn turned to look at her about to speak but instead closed his mouth.

"Not tonight. It's getting late."

"It's only eight."

"That's late for you these days."

"It's not-" she was cut off by her own huge yawn and Finn gave her a judging stare, "okay fine, so I'm tired. But if you want to talk I'm here."

Finn seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, we can discuss it later. You should go to bed if you're tired."

"Only if you come with me," she replied flirtatiously, biting her lip all sexy and adorable, tugging on his hand. He smiled weakly, placing his beer on the table and turning off the TV to follow her.

She was the more ferocious and dominant as they entered their bedroom. Forcefully, Rachel pushed him onto the bed and began tugging on the bottom of his sweatpants. She didn't enjoy seeing Finn so glum and wanted to help brighten his day a little bit. If he didn't want to talk, she could help him without talking. Only, when she got his pants off and started to undress herself, Finn called out to stop her.

"What's wrong?" Finn sat up and tugged Rachel into his lap. "I was going to improve your day," she pouted, stroking the back of his neck.

"You already have." He brushed some hair out of her face and kissed her cheek. "You don't need to sex me up to make me feel good," he chuckled.

"I know I don't _need_ to, but I like to."

The corner of his mouth pulled up and he gently squeezed her thigh. "I appreciate that, but tonight, do you think we could just…cuddle?"

"Let me just change into my jammies and I'm yours to snuggle with all night." She pressed a kiss to Finn's cheek and struggled a bit out of his lap.

Finn watched her leave the room and felt a heavy sadness fall on him. He wanted to tell her the truth and get it over with, face the inevitable, but when he saw how tired she looked upon coming home, he couldn't bring himself to have the conversation. It could wait until they both had some sleep. And then she wanted to have sex. Of course he wanted her, he always would, but it didn't feel right to sleep with her. Like it would be under false pretenses. She needed to know so she could make the decision for herself if she would ever want to sleep with him again. The way he currently felt, he was pretty sure she wouldn't.

Rachel returned in her comfy nightgown and slipped into bed to snuggle close to Finn. He nuzzled his nose against her cheek and pressed light kisses along her jaw, draping his arm around her to hold her stomach.

"He should start any time now that I'm resting." Every night their son would get some exercise in with little jabs and kicks while Rachel fell asleep and Finn would always hold her to feel closer to them both. He grinned when he felt the movements and happiness surged through him.

"I love you, Rachel. You have to know that."

She turned onto her back to look up at Finn. "I do. I love you too, Finn." She caressed his face and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Rachel fell asleep shortly after but Finn couldn't stop thinking. He needed some tact to make this as easy as possible for Rachel and he needed to keep Teagan away from his girl. Soon his thoughts turned to uneasy dreams and he slept fitfully all night.

The next morning when Finn woke up, he got ready for work as fast as possible to get out of the house before Rachel was fully conscious. He wanted to talk but as he had a ton of stuff to do with the big Thanksgiving dinner at the restaurant the next day, he couldn't be late. If Rachel caught him while lucid and saw how shitty he looked from his horrible night, she would ask questions and worry all day.

Just before he left, Finn nudged Rachel awake to kiss her goodbye and tell her to have a good day. She was so out of it, it was cute and he couldn't keep from smiling.

"I love you, Rach," he breathed against her lips before kissing her goodbye.

"Okay, but don't take too long, I'm tired," she muttered back having fallen asleep again.

Finn moved down the bed and pulled down the comforter to reveal Rachel's bare stomach sticking out far above the rest of her body. He saw a few tiny flutters and grinned. That was his little boy and no matter what happened down the line he couldn't regret his life so far. Without everything, good and bad, that had occurred he wouldn't have the beautiful family growing before him. Now he just had to keep the bad parts of his past and his poor choices from ruining that happy family. He would do anything in his power to protect that family and keep them healthy, safe, and happy.

"Hey buddy, it's Daddy. I hope you and Mommy have a great day. Don't beat up on her insides too much." He kissed the top of her stomach and pulled her nightgown back down over her belly and the covers back up to her shoulders. Finn gave Rachel one last kiss before heading out and sent up a silent prayer that he could fix this.

A couple hours later, Rachel woke rested and ready to conquer her day. All she had planned was baking but as she had to make an apple, pumpkin, pecan, and chocolate cream pie for anyone who didn't enjoy traditional Thanksgiving fair, it would take hours.

Initially Rachel had offered to hold Thanksgiving dinner at their new home for everyone as a sort of house warming party, but once she was put under the stress of actually planning for so many people Carole stepped in at Finn's request to take it off her hands. It happened against her will as Rachel was too stubborn to relinquish the job herself but, though she'd never admit it, she appreciated his intervening on her behalf. The pressure had been giving her serious heartburn and aggravating the baby. Feeling bad about dumping all the responsibility on Carole, Rachel insisted on providing the dessert at least and promised no less than her best baked goods.

Wearing her new Babe/Baby apron that Finn had bought her, Rachel began work on her pies and after hours of suffering through a sweltering heat wave via the oven, flour exploding all over her and the counter, and stopping to pee every five minutes, she was finally done and relaxing on the couch. Sipping on her hot apple cider and absently rubbing her stomach, Rachel settled in to watch _Funny Girl_ and clearly entertained her son while she sang along. He was going to town on her outer wall and, seizing the opportunity, she pulled out her phone and recorded a short video of him dancing to her singing. _We have a future star on our hands_ Rachel sent off with the video to her friends and family. Finn was the first to reply back stating that with those strong arms and legs, he'd be a great addition to the Giants. Rachel imagined a little boy in a tiny football uniform and squealed at the adorable mental image.

Soon sleep overtook her for a short nap and when she woke up she found Finn sitting with her on the couch. She smiled and shifted to snuggle closer to him to give him a kiss hello.

"How was work? You were gone all day."

"Insane. I was dealing with delivery guys and like five of our orders were wrong. I hope we have enough potatoes for tomorrow. Then Kitty called in sick so I had to stick around to man the bar until Sugar's shift started and then she spent an hour complaining to me about not getting enough hours. I keep telling her she'd get more if she would stop calling in sick all the time. She's not reliable."

"I'll be back to the bar before you know it and then you won't have to deal with Kitty anymore at least."

"What if you didn't come back to the restaurant after your maternity leave?"

"Are you trying to fire me?"

"No, not at all. I just thought once the baby is born you could start auditioning again. That was your plan, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but I need to work in the mean time."

"But if you don't work at the restaurant then you can spend more time auditioning. Once the baby's here our time will be spread pretty thin and I want you to achieve your dream. If you're splitting your time between the baby, working at the restaurant, and auditioning, you might miss out on opportunities and I don't want that to happen."

Rachel's heart fluttered at his enthusiasm for her passion. "Finn, that's so thoughtful of you. But I don't want to put all the pressure on you to provide while I'm between shows. We need to share the responsibility."

"And we will, after you're a star. You're a trained professional and deserve to work in your profession instead of as a bartender."

"You'd really be okay with me auditioning full time?"

Finn nodded and smiled softly at her. "I know you want to and I want you to too." Rachel pulled him close and kissed him deeply.

"I love you." When they broke apart, Finn's smile had disappeared and he seemed rather sad. "What's wrong?"

Finn clicked off the television and turned to face Rachel with a deadly serious demeanor. "I have something important I need to tell you but I'm…" His head dropped in shame.

"Is it what you were so upset over last night?"

Finn nodded solemnly, swallowing so hard it hurt before taking a deep breath. "Before I start, I just need you to listen until the end and try to keep your mind open to see where I'm coming from."

Rachel had no idea what could have him so shaken but she knew it was important and needed to be expressed. "Okay. You know you can tell me anything. We need to have honest and open communication otherwise we end up like we were back in the spring."

"Right, exactly, which is why I'm telling you this now." Rachel waited patiently for him to speak and he sighed and closed his eyes to prepare his thoughts. He rubbed his temples and started, "I'm not…I don't know how…okay. Basically ever since I can remember I've kinda had a tendency to act before thinking. That's how I ended up out in L.A. and while I was out there…I…Teagan, Rory's sister…she was more than just my friend."

She had to admit the thought had crossed her mind with how cagey he'd been acting when she had been mentioned.

"Well, I met her at a vulnerable time and she seemed so perfect. She was opposite of Santana in every way and that was what I liked most about her. She didn't call me rude names, she supported me and my acting dream, she listened to me, she was nice to everyone and I really fell in love with her. I thought I met the woman I'd spend the rest of my life with. Obviously it didn't work out that way. Instead, she played me like the two-faced bitch she is and crushed my heart worse than Santana. Santana was going through a lot trying to figure herself out and took it out on me, but at least she apologized for it all. Teagan is just a self-centered user who I swear has no remorse."

Between Santana and Teagan, Rachel could see why Finn hadn't been interested in a serious relationship in a very long time.

"Anyway, Teagan moved in with me not too long after we started dating. Our relationship moved fast – much too fast. I thought it was because she loved me too. After I landed my first role we went to celebrate in Vegas."

Realization struck her and she couldn't believe what Finn was trying to tell her. "Finn…" she breathed quietly, rubbing her belly protectively like the news would suddenly nullify everything that had happened between them, including their son.

"Rachel, I was 19 and totally blinded by Teagan. I didn't think. When she suggested getting married, I didn't even question her motive. I thought she loved me."

"You were married?" This was the last thing she expected. Sure, she thought Teagan might have played a part in Finn returning to New York, possibly hurting him the way Santana had, but she never thought Finn had been married! "What is going on, Finn?! How could you keep something like this from me?!" she growled.

"Rachel, please, just listen… I'm telling you this because I don't want to keep it from you anymore. I needed time."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath to calm down. Stress was not good for her or the baby. With a scowl she sat back and allowed Finn to continue. She could kill him for this after she had the whole story.

"It was about a month later that I found out she only married me to get a green card. She had dropped out of school without telling anyone, even me and Rory. When the school informed INS, they were going to deport her. Before that she was going to dump me, but instead she led me on and convinced me to marry her. Once she had her green card and enough money to move out, she dumped me for some surfer dude who provided her with all the pot she could want. Or so she told me when I caught her smoking it in our apartment with him.

"She used me for everything I was worth and I felt so stupid for believing her lies and not seeing what she was doing. If I had known before, I never would have married her. I was totally wrong about her and Rory even tried to warn me Teagan is a selfish, manipulative, man-eater, but I couldn't understand him through his accent."

Rachel tried to think and act rationally. She was an adult who had made her own mistakes in the past and while she was pissed Finn had kept a former marriage from her, based on his recount of it, it was quite traumatic. "I still can't believe after everything you kept such a big secret from me for so long. Why didn't you tell me about this before? Why are you telling me now?"

Finn stood up and began pacing nervously. "To be honest, I never wanted to tell you."

"You what?! How could you even think of keeping a _marriage_ from me?!" Rachel pushed herself to her feet and stared up at Finn with flames in her eyes. Her blood pressure was rising and she could feel the heartburn growing. "Finn! This isn't some embarrassing memory about dressing up like a girl! This is a woman you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with! Don't you think that's something you should tell your current fiancée about?! We're having a child together, Finn!"

"I know! That's why I'm telling you! I knew if I kept this from you and you found out from anyone besides me, you'd flip out. I don't want to lose you. Teagan was in the past and I don't care about her." Finn took Rachel in his arms. "I love you and I'm marrying you."

Rachel could feel her anger subsiding. She was still annoyed, but she knew in her gut Finn was telling the truth. "You don't care about her at all?"

"Not even a little."

She toyed with his shirt buttons. "I'm still mad, but it was in the past and you were a kid. I did stupid stuff too. Like getting drunk and getting a tattoo."

"You don't have any tattoos…"

"Thankfully it was only henna. But if it had been real, I'd be stuck with a tattoo of Barbra Streisand on my left shoulder. Don't get me wrong, I love her to death, but I don't particularly want her face forever emblazoned on my back. Is that why you didn't want to get married right away? Were you afraid it would turn out like your last marriage? Finn, you don't need to worry about me hurting you like that. I know the beginning of our relationship was rocky and I pushed you away, but I'm not doing that anymore. I love you and I'm going to fight for this relationship. Yes, I'm pissed that you hid this and were never planning on telling me but I love you and we'll get through this."

Then she turned dark and poked her finger into his chest quite hard. "I would suggest that from now on however, that you come clean about any big life altering decisions you've made and Do. Not. Hide. Things. From. Me." She accentuated the tail of her sentence with a finger jab to his chest between each word as she menacingly narrowed her eyes.

"There's more." He sat back down on the couch and held his head in his hands. "After Teagan left me, I left L.A. to come home. My life drastically improved and my time in California seemed like a bad dream. No one here knew about Teagan or my marriage and it was easy to pretend it never happened. I had considered filing a few times over the years, but it never seemed important enough. My marriage didn't really affect my life here and I was never in a serious enough relationship since her to use the time and effort on Teagan…until you. But I filed for divorce a few weeks ago and it's nearly-"

"You're still married?" Rachel asked with scary calm.

Finn could feel a storm brewing in her. "I just need one more signature from her and then we'll officially be divorced. She's just being a bitch because she wants something from me. Originally I wasn't going to tell you to protect you, but then I realized I had to because it wouldn't be right to lie to you forever. I was going to wait until after the divorce was finalized."

"Then why are you telling me now?"

"Teagan threatened to tell you-"

"So the only reason you told me about your wife is because she threatened to tell me about her first?"

"No! I was going to tell you but I wanted to tell you after…"

"Finn!" Rachel shouted, "Just stop! You have kept a wife from me and everyone you know for years and you're only coming clean to cover your own ass! You were going to lie to me about another woman for the rest of our lives if she hadn't forced you to tell me! You proposed to me and made me your fiancée before you were even divorced from your first secret wife! Do you have any other wives I should know about?! Are you a secret polygamist with a dozen more children you're hiding? A wife and kid in every state? What else are you hiding from me?"

"What? No! Rachel, I promise you, I've told you everything and I told you because I love you and I can't keep this from you. I don't want to lose you." Finn stood back up and took Rachel's hands again, leaning down to look her in the eye. "I love you and I'm fixing this so we can be a real family. I'm so sorry I kept this from you, I was just scared and embarrassed."

"Finn, I love you, but I really just…I need to lie down." Tears formed in her eyes as the tension in her finally spilled over. Finn moved to hug her, but she pushed him away. "Can you please just not?"

"You want me to leave you alone," Finn surmised, his mouth turning down sadly.

"I need some time to myself right now to think. I love you, but I…I need to be alone."

"Rachel, can we talk about this? What about fighting for us?"

"Finn, my back and feet are killing me, I'm tired, and hurt, and just want you to leave me alone for one freaking night to think about whether or not to forgive my fiancé for lying to me about the woman he's already married to! You know the doctor said I needed to avoid stress to help my heartburn and keep my blood pressure down and you are not helping either right now. I will talk to you when I'm ready but right now," the tears fell freely then, "I need to be alone."

She turned on her heel and waddled up to their bedroom, slamming the door behind her, and climbing into bed. Rachel cried freely and wondered how this could have happened. How could Finn be married to a woman he supposedly hated for years and never try to divorce her? Did he actually still have feelings for her? Was he telling the truth about everything he said? If he could keep this kind of secret from everyone he knew what else could he keep from them, from her? How could she trust him again?

But then again, he did tell her. He didn't have to. He probably could have gone the rest of their lives getting away with it, but he told her. Of course he told her because Teagan threatened him. Although, he said he had decided to tell her before that happened. She just didn't know what to think.

Rachel loved Finn so much, she always would. He was the father of her child, the man she was supposed to marry, the love of her life, but he had hurt her again. How could she be sure he wasn't playing her, that his story was real? To be honest, after what he had gone through – if it was all true – she could understand why he wouldn't want anyone to know. The woman had beaten him down and taken advantage of a sweet and naïve boy just looking for love. She would understand if he never fell in love again, never opened his heart for fear of giving it to someone who would destroy it, but he had…to her. He loved her. Even if he wasn't telling the truth about Teagan and had concealed such a huge part of his past from everyone, she knew Finn loved her and their son and really would do anything for them.

She had never felt this way before. It wasn't like before where they were so new and unstable. They had built a life together and knew each other, or at least she thought she knew him. She was in deeper now and couldn't just leave because there was a bump in the road. They both needed to be mature about this and she couldn't let her hormones make her decisions like she had before. Based on his friends and family's knowledge of his life, everything he had told her was the truth. It was just the lost year in L.A. that was fuzzy and unknown. There was no way to check…unless…

Rachel climbed out of bed and found her phone on the bedside table. She scrolled through the contacts until she came to the person she needed.

"_Hello?_" he said in mild confusion.

"Hi, Rory, it's Rachel, Finn's fiancée. I have a few questions for you."

"_Oh, hello, Rachel. What can I do for you?_"

"Finn's married to your sister and he thought it would be a good idea to keep it from me until she forced him to tell me before she could. He said some very upsetting things about your sister's character and I was just wondering how much truth there was to his story. I know you're his friend and want to look out for his best interests and Teagan is your sister, but my relationship with the man I love is hanging in the balance right now and I need the absolute truth."

"_That's not really a question, but okay. What exactly did Finn tell you?_"

Rachel explained the entire sordid tale and found herself in tears again by the end. "I'm just so fucking angry at him! He lied to me and to his family and friends. He's still married and he knocked me up and asked me to marry him. Oh God, I'm the other woman! He's made me the other woman! I never thought I'd be the other woman."

"_Rachel, please calm down. Everything Finn told you is true. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, but I don't really like her. She used Finn like a doormat, she uses everyone like a doormat actually, and I tried warning him, but he didn't want to believe it. My sister has always been a convincing liar and Finn just got swept up in her. Honestly, I'm surprised my sister hasn't gone on to be a criminal with how good she is._"

"So he isn't lying? Teagan actually did all that horrible stuff to him?"

"_No, he isn't lying and yes, she did. My sister is a heartless bitch and she messed Finn up. I can't really blame him for trying to forget about her and keeping it a secret. I just didn't think it was a good idea for him to keep it from you. He loves you and your baby and he proved that by telling you the truth. He doesn't want to keep anything from you. Don't let my sister get in the way of your happiness, Rachel._"

"I just feel so lost. I want to hate him, but I can't because I love him. I wish I could just forget all of this and go to him, but how can I? I feel like he betrayed our mutual trust and I can't just keep giving it to him for him to keep breaking it," she sniffled, wiping her nose.

"_Finn makes mistakes, Rachel. He's human and in case you haven't noticed, he doesn't always use his brain or think things through. How else do you think he ended up married in the first place? You don't have to forgive him right now, but I don't think you should end your relationship either. He's really trying and you have to give him credit for that._"

Rachel took Rory's advice under advisory and silently nodded. "Noted." When she saw the time, exhaustion hit her all at once and she knew she needed to get some sleep if she was going to talk this out with Finn the next day. "Thank you for listening, Rory. You were very informative and very helpful."

"_It's no problem. Finn's my friend which means you're my friend too. I hope you two can work it out. Finn really is a four leaf clover in a yard full of weeds._"

Rachel giggled at his metaphor. "You're great, Rory. Thanks again. Have a good night."

The pair hung up and Rachel stared at her phone background which was a picture of her and Finn in their Halloween costumes. He loved her like no one had before and she would be stupid to throw it away over this. She was still miffed and her heart ached at the truth, but they would get through this together with time.


	23. The Holidays

The next morning Finn woke with a stiff neck, a sore shoulder, and a broken heart. His secret had destroyed his relationship with Rachel. She was in step one now - ask for space. Then she would ignore and avoid him at all costs before deciding he wasn't worth it and break up with his sorry ass. And he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of it this time.

"Should have told her at the beginning," he lamented as he sat up on the couch in his den, rubbing the muscle ache in his neck. He should really consider investing in a sleeper couch for instance like this. Although once Rachel left him he'd have the king bed all to himself again but instead of feeling free with so much space, he would only feel alone, drowning in the emptiness beside him.

But Rachel's break-up speech would have to wait until after work. It was Thanksgiving and he had to make sure his restaurant would be prepared for the onslaught of families that would be attending. Finn was honestly quite surprised by how many families went out for Thanksgiving dinner and because of their patronage the restaurant usually did pretty well this holiday.

It meant his own family's dinner was actually at dinner time rather than two o'clock like everyone else he knew, but he didn't mind. The point was that his family would be together...until Rachel dumped him and kept their son from him to protect him from his stupidity too. This Thanksgiving was going to suck. There wasn't much he felt thankful for at the moment.

After a hot shower and a slow spiral into depression, Finn went to cautiously knock on the bedroom door to wake Rachel until he decided against it. Rachel didn't need any drama first thing in the morning and he should give her the space she asked for. Instead he wrote her a note and left it on the nightstand under her phone before kissing her and his boy goodbye. He may never get the opportunity to kiss her or her belly again. She was so beautiful and he loved her so much, he didn't know what he would do without her, but he had to prepare himself for the worst.

He left the house and tried to push his personal drama out of his mind to focus on work. When he arrived, the chefs were already at work, multiple turkeys in the ovens and sides being cooked all under Puck's watchful eye.

"Thank God you're here. I need to get home and sleep before Quinn wakes me for dinner at noon with our moms. It's Thanksgiving dinner! Why can't we eat it at normal fucking dinner time?" He noticed Finn's sullen mood and lack of response as he walked into the office and shut the door behind him, following and barging in after him. "Dude, what's up?"

Finn was face down on his desk and didn't answer.

"I know it's early, but you need to stay awake. We open in an hour for breakfast then start turkey at eleven."

"I'm not sleeping," Finn's muffled voice replied.

"Then get your ass to the kitchen. They need all the help they can get in there since Diane is late. Her kid is sick and her husband has to work a 72 hour so he can have Christmas off. She's having trouble finding a sitter at this ungodly hour."

"I'm not a chef."

"What's there to popping a turkey in the oven and mashing potatoes? You know how to cook."

Finn lifted his head and stared blankly at his best friend. "Can you just go home and not bug me about Thanksgiving?!" he replied harshly.

"There's no reason to bite my head off. I'm just trying to keep our business running smoothly since it's our livelihood and all. What's up your ass? You look like shit."

Finn glared at him before dropping his head again. "Just go away."

"Finn, this is your second favorite holiday. You love turkey! What the hell is your problem?"

He didn't want to tell him. He couldn't tell him without divulging the whole long and annoying story and while he needed to tell Rachel, he didn't need to tell Puck. "I just…I didn't sleep well, alright? Now go home. I'll make sure everything runs smooth here."

"You aren't going to try to use a butcher cleaver to kill yourself, are you?"

"If I was going to kill myself I'd do it less painfully than cleaving myself to death. Just go home, Puck!"

He threw his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll go home. You should get a tampon and take a Midol for you period because you're being a real bitch."

Puck flew out of the room, slamming the door behind him as a stapler flew at his head. Finn sighed and slumped down in his chair, his eyes falling on the picture on his desk. It was him and Rachel at her baby shower wearing t-shirts that read New Dad and It's a Boy with little blue feet in the shape of an arrow pointing down, respectively. In the bottom right corner of the frame was the sonogram showing he was a boy. Once taking over in the office, Rachel decided to spruce it up with some knickknacks and pictures and that was his favorite one. Soon the pictures of him and Rachel were all he would have left of their happy time together.

A knock on the door called his attention. "Finn…?" Marisol's voice called through the door. "Finn, are you still in there? I need a word."

He sighed and rubbed his face before sucking it up and pushing his troubles away again. "Yes?"

The door opened and she walked in with a spoon caked in chocolate. "Matthew has stolen my oven. How do you expect me to get all my pies done when he's spending the next eight hours using it for a turkey?!"

Troubles at home forgotten, Finn set about making sure his employees wouldn't kill each other over Thanksgiving dinner. It was bad enough his family usually bickered.

Back at the house, Rachel woke up with a wicked need to pee and rushed to the bathroom before consciousness had fully descended on her. When she came back out and saw the bed completely empty, she remembered her fight with Finn and when she found the note he left, felt an overwhelming sadness when she realized he didn't wake her up before leaving for work. She climbed back into bed and read it.

_Rachel,_

_I am so sorry for everything. I love you more than anything and if you'll give me the chance, I swear I will spend the rest of my life proving it to you. You and our son mean everything to me and I don't want to lose you. If you decide you do want to leave me and that it will make you truly happy, I won't stop you. All I want is for you to be happy. But if there's any part of you that thinks you want to stay, all I can ask is that you give it a chance. You're the best thing in my life. I'm sorry. I love you. Even if you're mad and never want to speak to me again, if you want, I know everyone would love to see you at Thanksgiving dinner at my parents'. You're a part of my family, even if you don't want me to be a part of yours. I hope you decide to come._

_I love you,_

_Finn_

Rachel didn't even notice she was crying until she saw the ink running on the piece of paper. Finn thought she wanted to leave him, that she didn't want him to be a part of her family. It hurt that he could think such a thing. But based on her past reactions, she understood how he could come to that conclusion.

She had to fix this right away. Finn was hurting too and she didn't want him to spend Thanksgiving thinking she was going to leave him. This was a holiday all about family and being thankful for everything you had in life and she wanted him to know that even though he didn't always make the best decisions and he drove her up a wall sometimes, she was still thankful for him.

Grabbing her phone, Rachel frantically called him but he didn't pick up, nor did he answer the next seven times she tried. Anxiously, she called the office phone instead. It rang and rang until she got voicemail, then she hung up and called the restaurant line.

"_Hudson's Bar and Grille. Happy Thanksgiving, this is Kitty speaking. How may I help you?_"

Rachel resisted the urge to barf at the sound of Kitty's voice and pushed on with her quest. "Kitty, is Finn there?"

"_Who is calling for him?_"

She knew damn well who was calling for him. "Rachel, his _fiancée_."

"_Oh, Rachel… Finn's busy. He can't come to the phone right now._"

"I think he'll make an exception for me. Please find him."

"_I'll see if I can, but he probably won't be able to talk. This place is swamped with the geriatric crowd right now._"

Rachel grit her teeth and grunted, "Just get Finn on the damn phone!"

"_Fine_." The line went on hold and Rachel lifted herself out of bed to make her way downstairs. She was starving and needed to get something going for breakfast.

Minutes later as she was in the middle of an omelet, Kitty came back on the line. "_Sorry, Finn's busy. He said he'd call you back after he resolves the fight Marisol and Matt are having over ovens._"

"Did you even go look for Finn or did you just put me on hold for ten minutes and stare at your nails?"

"_I'm sorry, I need to go. These drinks won't serve themselves. Happy Thanksgiving, Rachel._" Kitty hung up the phone and Rachel cursed the day that wench was conceived. She was a perpetual thorn in her side and nothing good ever came from dealing with her. In a blind hormonal rage, Rachel chucked her phone at the wall and instantly regretted it when her phone bounced off the wall to the floor and the Parisian chef chalkboard she wrote their weekly dinner menu on followed it. It would take forever to bend down low enough to reach them and she just knew her heartburn would act up if she did. Once she reached her third trimester it was like all the acid in her stomach decided it needed to make a constant appearance and bending over always made it worse.

"I hate that woman," she confessed aloud as she narrowed her eyes at the phone on the floor.

Leaving the phone, Rachel finished breakfast and contemplated a plan of attack for getting her phone back. There had to be some way to get it back from the floor without having to expend the effort to bend over. Of course, in the middle of her contemplation, her phone decided to ring. Seeing it was her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Rachel used her toe to answer the call and put it on speaker.

"Hello Carole! Happy Thanksgiving!"

"_Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Rachel. I was just calling to see if you would care to come over early. Burt could pick you up and you could join us for lunch and the kickoff to our holiday movie season. We always watch the movies Finn doesn't care for on Thanksgiving since he works so late. I just don't want you sitting at home alone if you don't want to. I even called your fathers and invited them. They said they would head on over after they made an appearance at a few friends' parties._"

Rachel clutched at her heart, both because the heartburn was back and it was such a tender moment. "I would love to come over. I just need a little time to get dressed. I could be ready to go in about an hour."

"_Perfect! I'll tell Burt to pick you up in an hour. We'll see you soon!_"

With a new plan for the day, Rachel got ready as quickly as she could and made sure all of her pies were together. Still without success in grabbing her phone, Rachel left her shoes off to check any texts she received which were only a few Happy Thanksgivings from friends and family. Soon Burt was calling to say he was around the corner and she threw on her shoes and waited by the door for him.

"Hey, Rachel, ready?"

"Nearly. Earlier I had a little fit and threw my phone and well, I have a difficult time bending these days…"

Burt chuckled to himself and valiantly picked up her phone and put the chalkboard back on the wall.

Over the course of the day, Rachel called Finn numerous times without success. She didn't know why he wasn't answering his phone and was honestly getting quite worried. Carole and Kurt tried to assure he was probably just busy in the kitchen and keeping his customers happy, but Rachel felt like he was avoiding her for some reason. She thought about going to the restaurant to talk to him, but figured it would be better not to have the conversation in front of the entire staff while they were busy.

As it neared five pm when the restaurant would close for the night, Rachel was frantic. Finn hadn't answered her calls all day, nor had he responded to any texts. When she called the office and the restaurant lines, she got dead ends there as well. It wasn't until nearly an hour later, just when dinner was about to start, that Finn finally stumbled in reeking of alcohol and quite red in the face.

"Happy Than'sgiving, e'ryone!" he slurred, holding up a bottle of Jack that was nearly empty.

"Finn!" Rachel and Carole yelled in shock at his disheveled appearance.

"Are you drunk?" Carole chastised.

He held his hand up to his face and held his forefinger and thumb very close together in front of his eye. "Li'l bit." He started giggling at nothing as he stumbled again without even moving his feet.

"Finn, what the hell were you thinking?!"

"Hey! I's a holiday! We should let loose on holidays, righ'?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes at him. "Were you drinking at work?"

"Well, I was at work and tha's where I found this bottle when it wass full."

"Finn, why the hell were you drinking on the job?" Burt admonished, getting up from his seat and moving Finn into one. The bottle in his hand fell to the floor and he leaned to his left until he had fallen onto his side next to Rachel. He nuzzled his face against her thigh.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry," he mumbled into her leg, rubbing her knee with his hand.

Rachel ran her fingers through his hair. "Finn, why did you drink yourself into oblivion at work?"

"Because then it wouldn't hurt."

"What wouldn't hurt?" Carole asked.

Finn closed his eyes and scooted up to rest his head right in Rachel's lap against her stomach. "I love you. I love you too, Baby. We really need to give you a name. It would be weird if we jus' called you Baby all your life." He caressed her belly and felt a nudge against his palm. "Shhh! He's moving!" he whispered harshly.

"Finn, we still want to know what is going on! It isn't like you to drink at work, especially so much you get hammered." When he didn't respond, Carole stood up and shook him. "Finn!"

"Wha'? Oh, hi Mommy." He grinned and stared bleary eyed up at her, pulling his legs up onto the couch and turning to face the back of it, getting comfortable in Rachel's lap. When they heard snoring seconds later, Carole knew the conversation was over.

"He's gone." She took a deep breath and shook her head, looking at Rachel. "Do you know why he did this today of all days?"

Rachel played with his hair as he snoozed and felt sheepish when she thought why he was drunk off his ass. "We had a fight last night. Finn feels really bad about it but I didn't think he'd start drinking."

"A fight? What were you fighting about?"

She dropped her head as she thought the best way to put it. Though it was the crux of their problems, Rachel didn't feel it was her place to tell Finn's biggest secret. He needed to come clean on his own. "It was something Finn did. It really hurt me and he's…he's afraid I'm going to leave him because of it. But I'm not. We just need to talk about it. I don't know why he thought it would be a good idea to get drunk."

Kurt who had disappeared into the kitchen to finish checking on dinner and missed the Finn drama walked back out carrying two bottles of wine. "Red or white? I picked each of these specifically to match with the meal depending upon your preference." Then he noticed Finn passed out on the couch. "When did Finn get here and why is he passed out in Rachel's lap?"

"Apparently Finn's decided to start drinking away his problems," Burt supplied. "Let's let him sleep it off and eat. We're all hungry and we've waited long enough for him. It's his fault he's missing out tonight."

"But it's Thanksgiving, Burt." Carole pleaded Finn's case. "This is Finn's second favorite holiday and you know he loves turkey. The only food he loves more is chicken."

"Carole, I know Finn loves Thanksgiving, but if we wait for him we won't be eating until tomorrow. I don't know about you but I'm hungry. We'll make it up to him at Christmas. Kurt, I'll have red." Burt ended it there and moved to the dining room, Kurt on his heels telling him only one glass because anymore would be bad for his health.

Carole huffed and glanced back down at her son, rolling her eyes at him. "Rachel, do you need some help getting him off you?"

"Yes, please. It's hard enough getting off the couch without his big head on me." She giggled and Carole picked her son up and blanched at his breath. "My goodness, he smells."

"Between drinking and working in the kitchen all day, I'm not surprised."

While they let Finn sleep off the alcohol, the Hummels and Rachel had a lovely turkey dinner and great conversation. They pressed Rachel for more information about her fight with Finn, but she refused to tell more of the story. She didn't particularly like thinking about Finn's wife and she didn't want to ruin everyone's Thanksgiving by telling them their son got married without ever telling anyone. She was certain his family would have liked to know something that big and would be quite upset with him.

By the time they made it to dessert, her fathers had arrived and wondered why her fiancé was passed out on the floor.

"He was on the couch. I guess he fell off." Carole sipped her wine and continued eating her pumpkin pie. "Apparently my son thought it was a stellar idea to start the party early with an entire bottle of whiskey at work."

"That's professional."

Burt snorted at Hiram's comment. "Yes, we're all very proud of him."

"He's gonna have one killer hangover when he gets up. Rachel, if you don't want to sleep alone tonight, I'd suggest spending the night here," Kurt explained.

"I don't have a change of clothes."

"We could take you home on our way back to Newark. If we can manage to get Finn downstairs to the car, we can take you both."

At that moment, retching could be heard coming from the living room. "Oh no! My carpet!" Carole shrieked, getting up from the table and rushing to the living room. Rachel pushed herself out of her chair too and followed behind. When she reached him, Finn was on his hands and knees puking up all the alcohol he had imbibed while Carole rushed around like a chicken without a head to start cleaning up the mess.

When he finished, he rolled away from the mess to end up on his back, Rachel standing over him. "Oh man, I feel so much better." Then his mother came into view with a look that could kill. "I think I'm gonna be sick again."

"Not on my carpet you aren't! Get up!" With brute force, Carole lifted Finn to his wobbly feet and wiped his mouth with some tissues. "Get in the bathroom and clean yourself up. Then you're going home and going to bed. You are too old to be acting like this, Finn! You aren't a frat boy. You're a 26 year old business man with a fiancé and a child on the way. You need to be a man and not a child yourself!"

Finn's lower lip wobbled and he fought not to cry. Whenever he drank while sad, the tendency to cry followed. "I know. I'm sorry." He started to get choked up and finally broke down. "Mom, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Finn fell into her for a hug and started bawling like a toddler with a scraped knee who just wanted his mommy.

"There's no reason to cry." Carole stroked the nape of his neck soothingly to calm him down. "You made a mistake. Just try to do better next time."

"I always mess up."

"Finn…"

"Finn," Rachel interrupted, catching Finn's attention over his mother's shoulder. He pulled away from his mom and started wiping the tears from his face. He maneuvered over to Rachel and hugged her.

"Please don't leave."

"I'm not going to leave, Finn. It's okay." She stroked his back and nestled her head on his shoulder. She could hear him smelling her hair and stifled the urge to giggle. "Let's go home and get you into bed, okay?" Rachel lifted her head and looked at Finn who was entirely defeated in that moment.

"Do I have to sleep on the couch again?"

"Are you going to throw up more?"

He shrugged. "We'll leave the garbage next to the bed for you."

"Are we leaving now then?" Leroy asked.

Rachel looked at the group then back at Finn. "I think that would be best. I'm sorry to eat and run."

"Don't worry, it's not your fault," Kurt bit, eyeing his brother.

Carole came back from the kitchen with cleaning supplies and went to work on the carpet. "The one night Stella has off, you just _had_ to puke all over my carpet," she griped lowly. She sat up and pointed at Kurt. "Could you please give them some leftovers to take home before they leave? Finn didn't get any dinner and we have more than enough for the two of us."

While Kurt got to work on the leftovers, Rachel and her dads helped Finn down to the car and laid him out in the backseat. A few moments later, Kurt showed up downstairs with a bag full of food for them and they were on their way back to the Upper West Side. Hiram and Leroy carried Finn up the stairs and deposited him in their bedroom. Rachel said her goodbyes to her fathers and promised she would come home for Hanukkah celebrations in a few weeks. Once she was left alone with her inebriated fiancé, Rachel changed into pajamas and helped Finn out of his clothes.

"Rach…" he moaned sadly.

"Finn, just go to sleep. We can talk in the morning."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And with that, Finn passed out for the night. Rachel climbed into bed next to him and felt whole again with him beside her. She was so used to sleeping next to Finn and feeling his body and heat around her, that sleeping alone was foreign and hard to do. As she drifted into sleep, a smile crept up on her when she felt Finn shift to hold her against him.

In the morning, Rachel was in the kitchen making some breakfast when Finn stumbled downstairs holding his head and squinting in the bright light. "What time is it?" he mumbled when he found Rachel.

"Almost noon. You've been dead as a log since you passed out."

"What happened last night?" He sat down at the kitchen table and held his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead to dull the pain. Rachel placed a couple aspirin and a bottle of Gatorade next to him and he greedily took both.

"Well, I can only tell you what happened once you showed up sloshed. You came in yelling Happy Thanksgiving with a bottle of Jack Daniels in your hand then spread out on the couch with your head in my lap. Then you fell asleep, the rest of us had dinner, and in the middle of dessert you threw up on your mother's carpet. Then we brought you home and you went right to bed."

"I don't really remember any of that. I'm so stupid!"

"Finn, why the hell were you drinking at work? That isn't like you."

He folded his arms on the table and laid his head in them. "It was just…everything hit me all at once and it was so overwhelming. I needed something to take the edge off and I couldn't stop. Marisol and Matt were fighting all day over ovens and Kitty was getting on my nerves, we had more people than expected so the restaurant was a zoo and we started running out of potatoes and nothing was open. And then there was you. You were calling all day and it was stressing me out. I was so afraid you were calling to tell me you were done with me and I didn't want to deal with it. So I started drinking and it just felt so much easier."

"We talked about this. You can't drink away your problems. If you had just picked up the phone you would have found out I was only calling to tell you I am not leaving you so you could relax a little." Finn lifted his head and stared at her with genuine surprise. "I did a lot of thinking last night," she took his hand, "I love you. Maybe at the beginning of our relationship I would have bolted at finding out you're married, but we're not the same people we were then. I love you and trust you and I believe you. I'm still angry and disappointed, but I'll get over it. Teagan is your past and that's where she's going to stay. I'm your future and you're mine," she rubbed her stomach as she glanced down, "and he's ours."

"You aren't breaking up with me?"

She shook her head. "No."

Finn pulled Rachel into his arms and held her face, kissing her hard on the mouth. "Thank you. I love you and I'm sorry."

"I love you too." She pressed her forehead to his. "But you have to make this right, Finn."

"I will."

"You need to finalize your divorce and you have to tell your family. They deserve to know. You need people on your side for this."

"My mom is going to be pissed at me."

"Probably. But she loves you, she'll forgive you. Besides, our wedding will be so much better than a wedding in Vegas."

"You still want to marry me?"

"Why do you sound so surprised? I said I wasn't leaving you."

Finn shrugged and stared sheepishly at the floor. "Yeah, but that doesn't necessarily mean you want to marry me still."

"I would marry you today if I could. But I can't…because you're already married," she said bitterly.

"Even though you're mad at me, you'd still marry me today?"

"I can be mad at you and still love you. You think this is the last time I'm going to be mad at you? We're human, we fight. There will be times you're wrong and times I'm wrong, but that doesn't mean every argument leads to a break up. We aren't Noah and Quinn."

Finn chuckled lightly and brushed some hair out of her eye. "You're the best woman I could have ever accidentally knocked up then fallen in love with."

"Thank you…I think." Rachel beamed and stood up. "Now, I'm going to finish breakfast and you are going to shower because you smell then you're going to find a solution to the Teagan problem. And I'm going out Black Friday shopping with Tina for a little bit because I need to blow off some steam. Do not mistake my tenderness with you for forgiveness. You are still in my doghouse and have a long way to go before you get back into my good graces."

"Understandable."

"Don't think agreeing with me on everything will help you," she scolded, pointing her spatula at him. "Hi Doodle! Did you finally get used to the house?" Snickerdoodle shyly padded into the kitchen along the wall to make his way to Rachel. He jumped onto the island and began sniffing at the plate of eggs. "No, Doodle, these are not for you." She picked him up off the counter and put him back on the floor. "I'm glad you've come out of your cat condo to visit us but your breakfast is in your bowl." Since officially moving into the new house, Snickerdoodle had spent the majority of his time hiding out in his cat condo in the living room. He didn't care for the new place while they were in the process of redecorating but once finished and the place finally smelled like home instead of paint, he started venturing out more.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot about Doodle. He really is a stealth cat."

"Perhaps since we're in a bigger place now we should get him a friend to keep him company?" Rachel mused, flipping the strips of bacon.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to get another pet with Owen on the way."

"Owen?"

"Just tossing it out there to see how it sounds."

Rachel scrunched her nose. "I don't really like it. It reminds me of Owen Wilson and you know I don't care for his films."

"What about…Hunter?"

"Hunter Hudson?" She made a face at that too.

"We need to come up with something. He could come anytime and we haven't settled on a name."

Rachel turned off the stove and carried a plate of food over to the table. "We'll find one. I'm only on the R's in my baby names book." She settled Finn's plate in front of him and started out of the kitchen.

"Whoa, where are you going? Aren't we doing breakfast together?"

"Nope. I made a breakfast burrito to take mine on the go. I'm meeting Tina at Macy's." She bit into her burrito and grinned at him. "Besides, you have work to do. You need to find a way get Teagan out of your life for good if you ever expect intimacy of any kind with me again. I will not be a mistress."

"Can't I at least get a goodbye kiss?"

"Nope. I'm back to being mad." She strolled past him and Finn pouted at her. Taking pity on his downturned lip, Rachel placed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll be home later and we can talk more."

"There's more to talk about?"

"Finn, there is always more to talk about. If you want me to forgive you we need to have a frank discussion about everything. I was hoping you would have woken up sooner so we could talk earlier but you were still passed out then Tina invited me shopping and I needed a distraction. I was going to wake you and tell you we could talk when I got home. I can't bail on her now."

"Okay, we can talk about whatever you want to talk about." He kissed her belly before she turned to leave. "I love you."

"I love you too. See you later. And if you want a few points, I suggest planning a spectacular dinner."

Rachel waddled away, waving over her shoulder, and as he watched her go he knew everything would be alright. If they could get through this, they could get through anything life threw at them in the future.


	24. The Nuisance

It doesn't really affect the plot, but I changed how the Berrys met from canon a little. Enjoy!

* * *

"Good morning, beautiful."

Rachel's eyelids fluttered open to find her fiancé sitting next to her in bed, a smile on his face and a rose in his hands. She grinned back at him and stretched her body before pushing up on her elbows.

"Happy birthday, baby." Finn leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss and Rachel slipped her fingers into his hair, holding him close. When they broke for air, she laid back down.

"Thank you. Is that for me?" She eyed the rose and Finn handed it over.

"I also made you some breakfast in bed." Finn stood up and grabbed the tray of food off the dresser to bring it to her and Rachel sat up giddy at the gesture. No one had ever made her breakfast in bed for her birthday, or really ever, before Finn. Usually she was the one making breakfast as she was more of a morning person than anyone else she knew. "Blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, and orange juice. I hope it's cooked to your liking."

"I'm sure it is. It looks delicious."

"It's your birthday; I want to take care of you."

She beamed at him before popping a strawberry in her mouth. "Are you going to join us?" She patted her 38 week belly and a limb nudged her back. She lifted her shirt and they could see a clear bulge where he was pressing.

"I wish we could tell if it's a foot or a hand."

"Based on the angle, I'd say a hand. He's probably stretching because it's so cramped in there now." Rachel hissed and jumped, nearly knocking the tray over until Finn grabbed it. "Ow, bladder jab. Excuse me." She shoved him out of the way and hustled out of bed to the bathroom.

Over the past few weeks Rachel had grown even bigger still as her boy seemed uncomfortably comfortable staying put. He didn't seem to dance so much anymore as violently push on her insides in an effort to create space.

"If you would just come out, there is plenty of space out here for you. Then you can thrash around all you want and not tear up Mommy's insides," Rachel begged again. Her son's only reply was another bladder jab. "Like it or not, kid, you will come out of me. Don't you start picking out drapes."

Rachel finished up and exited the bathroom to find Finn lying in wait, his own plate of food near his chin as he shoveled some eggs into his mouth. "Do I need to have a fatherly talk with that boy about not listening to his mother?"

She giggled and climbed in next to him. "He'll probably just kick you in the face again." She took her tray back and made quick work of her breakfast while they watched TV and talked. "Any word from your lawyer or She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named?"

Finn sighed and rolled his eyes. "No. Teagan doesn't have a lawyer for my lawyer to get in contact with and she refuses to answer my calls." He swallowed, preparing himself for the argument he knew his next statement would instigate. "If you would let me go talk to Teagan-"

"I don't want you talking to her without me."

"Well, that isn't happening."

"Then you're not talking to Teagan. I don't understand why you're so against taking me with you. I'm sure if we explained things and appealed to her-"

"She doesn't have a good side and that's exactly why I'm not letting you near her. She's cruel and I'm not exposing the two most important people in my life to that. Why do you think I went to see her alone and didn't tell her about you?"

"Because you were still lying to me about being married in the first place," she replied smugly.

During their second talk, when Rachel discovered Finn had spent the day alone with his soon-to-be ex-wife and used the spa day as a distraction, she was furious. Once again he found himself in his den searching for sleeper couches online. He had been paying for keeping his secret in subtle ways over the past few weeks. Even when she said she wasn't angry, her actions betrayed her…not cuddling at night with him, silence when Finn tried to talk to her, incessant chatter when he wanted silence, holding her purse while she shopped for a nice dress for her birthday party instead of getting to go to Dave & Buster's with his friends. He was willing to suffer in silence through it all if it meant Rachel was still in his life. The only thing he was suffering through loudly was the sex dodging.

She was purposely withholding sex from him to teach him a lesson about keeping things from her. He knew it was to send a message when he totally caught her self-serving after she made a fuss about not being in the mood. He felt it was a stupid form of revenge as it denied her sex as well, but when he questioned her about it, she said she didn't feel emotionally ready to go there with him yet. Apparently, every time she thought about having sex with him, a picture of him with some faceless woman would pop into her head and all the anger would rise to the surface. It killed her to know she wouldn't be his first and only wife, but when he assured that she would be his last wife and the only woman he would ever love and have a family with, her heart softened and she forgave him just a little bit more.

Steadily things got better though. The wounds were healing and they were getting back to normal. Rachel no longer denied cuddles, she allowed him to go out with Puck instead of forcing him to shop with her, she even surprised him with a frenzied quickie on the kitchen table when he brought home a few whimsical onesies.

The only time they really argued anymore was when Teagan was mentioned.

"Rachel, if you don't let me talk to Teagan, I'm never going to be able to get her to sign. I only need one more signature from her and then we're done for good."

"Take me with you to meet her and you can get that signature. If she's as bad as you say she is, you're going to need help. I don't trust her alone with you. You said she wants something from you and if you're by yourself there's a greater chance she'll get it."

"Are you saying you don't trust me to handle her by myself?"

"No. I'm saying I don't trust _her_. She's manipulated you into doing what she wants before, I'm sure she's capable of doing it again."

"I was 19 and didn't know better then. I think I can handle it now."

"Really? Explain to me again why you spent the entire day with her doing whatever she wanted just a few weeks ago?"

Finn rolled his eyes and put his plate down on the side table, turning to face Rachel. "Do you really want to argue this on your birthday? Today is about you. I thought we could spend it in bed, or any other surfaces you feel comfortable on, before heading to your party this afternoon." He waggled his eyebrows at her and walked his fingers up her thigh higher and higher.

"Don't try to distract me," she challenged weakly. His fingers dipped between her thighs and gently rubbed circles over her heated skin. Her breath was coming harder and her focus was waning. "Finn…I'm still…eating."

He lifted the tray from her lap and placed it on the floor next to the bed, turning back to his fiancée grinning lasciviously. "Now you're not." He kissed her bare shoulder and Rachel gasped as his hand connected with her center.

"Finn, do we even have time for this? My party starts at one."

"It's not even ten yet. We have plenty of time. And we can save some time and water by showering together." He kissed higher on her shoulder, moving slowly up to her lips, while his hand found its way into her panties. "I know just how to clean you up."

Rachel's head dropped against the headboard. "You seem more intent on dirtying me up."

"Well, how are you supposed to get clean without getting dirty first? It just wouldn't make sense."

Rachel bucked her hips up and pressed further into the headboard as his fingers found their intended target. His rough skin created delicious friction against her swollen nub and her legs began to shake as he teased her nerves expertly while his mouth worked on leaving behind his mark.

She could swear she was about to melt from the intense heat radiating from their combined bodies and slowly she sank onto her back as Finn continued to pleasure her. His fingers were magic as they dipped inside her wet opening, seeking her spot and causing a ripple of electricity through Rachel's body when he found it. She shuddered and a wanton cry fell from her lips.

"Finn, I want your…your…" She ripped Finn's head up from where he was busy leaving a hickey and kissed him hard on the mouth. She tugged his hands away from her body and maneuvered out of her panties, kicking them to the floor, and Finn worked on removing his own boxers. Once freed of the material, Rachel shoved Finn onto his back and straddled him.

His eyes darkened as he stared up at Rachel, her breasts nearly falling out of her nightgown, her dark, pert nipples perfectly visible through the top of the lace.

"You're perfect, baby," he breathed, slipping his hands under the soft material of her nightie to run his fingers over her stomach. Rachel blushed under his praise and lifted her arms to indicate what she wanted. Finn obliged, throwing her pajamas to the side, and reveling in her glowing beauty. "I think I could stare at you all day."

"Or you could join me in total nudity. Make it fair for both of us." She pushed his t-shirt up his chest, fingers running along the planes and contours of his torso, until his shirt had joined hers on the floor. Satisfied with the view, Rachel licked her lips and pushed up onto her knees, crawling forward to sit higher on Finn's body. "Time to put that mouth to good use, Mr. Hudson."

Finn gripped Rachel's hips and tugged her forward to the perfect position. She pressed her hands flat against the wall to support herself and threw her head back in ecstasy as Finn's tongue touched her clit. He swirled around the pink little bud in tight circles, taking his time to work her into a flurry of hormones and lust to produce an intense orgasm.

Rachel lost her mind as fireworks burst behind her eyelids, the jolt of coming so hard making her twitch atop Finn. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her lids fluttered rapidly, heart pounding in her ears and chest while the baby went crazy on her organs.

Dropping her head forward, she scooted back to reveal Finn's goofy, satisfied grin. "You've got a little…" Rachel wiped his glistening chin with her thumb and he quickly grabbed her hand to suck her finger between his lips.

"Mmm…tasty." Finn licked as much from his face as he could while Rachel rolled off him to rest. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and started tonguing what he missed from his skin. Finn brushed his fingers through Rachel's hair and placed a soft kiss against her lips, prying them open with his tongue. He turned onto his side and moaned as his erection brushed along Rachel's warm thigh. "I know it's your birthday, but…" he nudged her and glanced down, "think you could help a guy out?"

Rachel grinned like the Cheshire Cat and pushed herself up. "How do you want me?" she asked in a sultry tone, biting her lower lip. Finn's lips spread into a smile and pressed a kiss to Rachel's belly, slowly kissing his way up her body. He held her sides and lifted her to her knees, working his way behind her. Rachel ground her backside into Finn's hips, teasing his cock while her fingers brushed along Finn's thighs.

"Lean down," Finn grunted into Rachel's ear. His hands dropped to her lower back and he started massaging her muscles making her whine. She followed his order and rested on her forearms while her belly hung low, brushing along the bed.

"Like what you see?" Rachel glanced over her shoulder and spread her knees apart to get comfortable. She gasped again when Finn smoothed his fingers through her slit, collecting her juices.

He was practically drooling at the sight of her on all fours, waiting for him with her pussy on display. "So much…"

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Honestly, he didn't know. After a few quick pumps, Finn teased her opening with his tip then pushed inside her. She was hot and wet and fit around him perfectly. "God, you are perfect…so perfect…" He rocked into her slowly, careful not to go too deep and hurt her, his muscles contracting with each thrust. To increase her pleasure, he massaged her hips and lower back and he was fairly certain she enjoyed that even more than the sex. He took care of her though, brushing her spot over and over while he fingered her clit.

But then she pulled away and flipped onto her back. "He's too heavy." She motioned to her bump and Finn nodded. He climbed off the bed and stood at the edge, grabbing Rachel's hips and turning her to face him and pulling her to the end.

"You mean we have to look at each other?" he joked. Rachel poked him in the chest with her toes and he chuckled, kissing the top of her foot. He lifted her ankles to rest on his shoulders and held her calves while he pushed back into her. This time he pushed in deeper and moved faster, smacking his hips into Rachel's hard with each pump.

She held her breasts in her hands and pinched her nipples, adding to the tingles spreading through her. Her eyes connected with Finn's and her pupils dilated, her breath got heavier, sweat formed on her brow, and her face pinched, mouth falling open and eyes squeezing shut as another orgasm ripped through her.

"Oh…Gooood…oh God…Finn, fuck, Finn!" she screamed as she writhed on the bed, her walls tightening around his girth. The room started to spin and go black as her blood pressure skyrocketed, her lungs burning as she forgot to breathe until a loud rush of air left her body.

Watching her lose herself in the wash of bliss, Finn's blood rushed to his cock fast and hard, swelling his shaft, and hot cum rushed out of him as he came inside her. He pulsed, spilling more and more until he was completely spent, thrusting a few more times before slowly pulling out.

He lowered Rachel's legs and ran to the bathroom to grab a warm wash cloth and gently clean her up. She got back under the covers, now cold as her sweat dried, and patted the bed for him to join her. Finn wrapped his arms around her and they entwined their hands to feel around for their son's kicks.

"Think he's getting used to us doing this?"

"Maybe. We do it so often. He'll probably be relieved once he's out and doesn't have to be present anymore."

Finn snorted. "Then we just have to worry about him seeing us."

"That's what locks are for." Rachel kissed him and stretched her back. "And you know what hands are for?" Finn started rubbing her back again and Rachel cooed in delight. "How do you know me so well?"

"Considering you ask me to massage your back nearly every day now, I've learned. I especially like when you ask me to massage your boobs. Do they hurt today too?"

"Not right now. But I'm sure after I've been out all afternoon they will." Rachel closed her eyes and enjoyed the massage but brought up a point she had been trying to make earlier. "Finn?"

"Hmm…"

"Don't think the Irish Issue has been dropped. It has only been postponed for my birthday…and sex."

"Any sex or just birthday sex?"

She thought for a moment, "Just birthday sex."

"Well then, I guess I need to get going again."

After some more pillow talk, and another few fantastic orgasms, Rachel and Finn were on their way to Rachel's birthday party at the restaurant.

"Do you think it was a good idea to have the party at the restaurant? Won't we get in the way of business?" Rachel worried while they sat in the cab in a traffic jam.

"Nope."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Nope. It's a surprise." Little did Rachel know, over the past few weeks, Finn and Puck had been in talks with the owner of the deli next door about buying his property. Mr. Schneider was getting on in years and looking to retire to Arizona so was in the market to sell and when Puck learned this valuable information, he jumped on it. Finn and Puck had been discussing expanding the restaurant since they had bought the place and over the past two years the need for more room had grown. They were doing solid business and finally could afford to expand.

"Is it like your last surprise or a real surprise?"

"Not following…"

"I mean, is it a ruse like the spa was for you to do something I won't approve of, or is it a genuine surprise like our date to see _Into the Woods_?"

"First, the spa day wasn't a ruse; I really wanted to give you a nice relaxing day. I just planned to deal with Teagan while you were busy anyway. And second, it's a real surprise, so I'm not telling you. I think you'll like it."

"You think? Finn, what did you do? You aren't actually trying to take me to the Tokyo City Rodeo are you? I will kill you-"

"Rachel, relax. We're going to the restaurant. Trust me, no one wants to go to Jersey." Rachel had been freaking out that they had secretly been planning a party at Hitoshi and Clara's Tokyo City Rodeo ever since her fathers joked about it. It was bad enough Finn knew it was her favorite restaurant; she didn't need everyone else knowing too. It was embarrassing.

Once through the traffic, the couple finally arrived and upon entering the establishment, Rachel deflated.

"Where's my party?"

The place looked just as it always did with customers seated at tables, employees milling around, Kitty behind the bar flirting her way into bigger tips.

"Follow me." Finn took Rachel's hand and led her back to the kitchen. As they walked through, Rachel's confusion escalated but she kept a smile on her face as all the chefs wished her a happy birthday. Then they arrived at a wall that had recently been ripped out, heavy plastic over the hole.

"Finn, what is going on?"

He pulled back the plastic and on the other side stood all of Rachel's family and friends shouting happy birthday at her. She jolted at the shock and her hands flew to her mouth. They were standing in the deli next door only the place appeared to have been gutted. Instead of shelves and delicatessen cases, refrigerators and boxes upon boxes, the whole place looked like a winter palace.

There were about a dozen tables placed throughout the space all covered in white table cloths, snowflake candle centerpieces and glitter on each table, twinkle lights hanging from the ceiling, frosted blue and white balloons scattered around the edges, and there was even an ice sculpture of an ice skater.

"I have no idea what is going on."

Finn explained, "Mr. Schneider retired and Puck and I bought his store to expand the restaurant. We've spent the past few weeks getting it ready to be a temporary private event room for your party before we start the renovations."

"Why didn't you tell me you decided to expand?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday."

"You didn't think it important to tell me that you were starting a huge renovation project just when I'm due to have a baby?" Rachel wanted an answer but it would have to wait as her Daddy came over to greet her.

"Rachel! Sweetheart, happy birthday! I can't believe 23 years ago today our little girl was born and we became daddies. You were the tiniest little thing, but your lungs and voice box were fully developed because you screeched so loud you made the other babies cry." Rachel had heard this story so many times she knew it by heart, but she still loved to hear it. "We were so scared to hold you at first. You were so small we thought you would slip through our fingers." He balled his fist and held it by his mouth as he started to get emotional. "And now my baby is pregnant with her own baby. Where does the time go?"

Rachel patted her Dad's back as she led him to a table. "It's okay, Daddy. Babies are a good thing." She consoled her Dad and spent the next few hours talking with her guests. So much had happened since last she saw them all that conversations seemed to be endless.

Everyone wanted to know when she was due, what name they had picked, when they planned on getting married, etc. Her family especially wanted the answer to that. Her grandmothers were both quite old fashioned and believed marriage should come before babies but were still excited for a new family member joining them. They just liked to pester her about being an unwed mother.

When she found herself with the women from her group, she ended up inundated with information about birth and getting through it without meds, and techniques to induce labor naturally. Rachel was dutifully taking notes on that as Dr. Pearl had said due to his size, if their boy didn't come out by his due date, she would like to induce. He was developed and large enough now to easily survive on his own, but Rachel wanted to have as natural a birth as possible. She didn't want to risk any unnecessary complications.

Once the food had been laid out on the buffet tables, Rachel excused herself from her conversation with Brittany and Santana about dolphins being gay sharks to snap up whatever she could. It had been hours since she had eaten and her blood sugar was quite low. In the line for food, she also finally got to speak with Finn again.

"I cannot believe you didn't talk to me about expanding." She slapped some mashed potatoes on her plate. "We need to discuss these things, Finn. Until I have established my career, both of our livelihoods depend upon Hudson's. Not to mention I could give birth at any moment and will need your help and support."

"Babe, don't worry. Puck and I already figured it all out." He paused when he saw the mountain of potatoes on her plate. "You want to save some potatoes for the rest of us?"

"They're one of my comfort foods and I've hardly eaten anything today. Leave me alone and stop changing the subject."

"Look, Mr. Schneider and Puck go way back since they go to the same synagogue so he was able to get us a good deal. And the construction company Puck used to work for is doing the remodeling so they're giving us a good deal too. All his old connections really paid off."

"Are you sure you can trust Noah's deals? It is Noah, after all."

"I've known Puck practically all my life. He's always come through for me and I know he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize this business. It's his livelihood too."

"Okay, it still doesn't change the fact you'll be here all the time overseeing construction."

"Actually, Puck's going to take care of that too. Since he's night manager now and the construction guys know him, they'll be doing most of the work at night since the apartments upstairs are still empty. I won't be here all that much more than usual. We'll still be open regular hours. We wouldn't be doing this now if I didn't think I could handle it."

"I just hope you aren't biting off more than you can chew. Being a new parent is tough work and I don't want you to overload yourself." Plates full, they moved to the table and Finn turned to Rachel, rubbing her knee affectionately for assurance.

"Trust me. It'll be fine."

"That's what you said about You-Know-Who and yet you're still married to her," she bit at him under her breath. "And, you said that about telling your family yet you have not mentioned her once."

"I told you I wanted to wait until it was finalized but I can't finalize it if you won't let me go see her. She's not going to willingly sign."

"Then just take me with you."

"Not a chance."

"Finn!"

"A lover's quarrel?" Tina asked, sitting next to Rachel, Mike on her other side.

Rachel waved it off and put on a brave face. "It's nothing." Tina knew all about the situation but Rachel didn't want to discuss it so openly with her now. "Finn's just getting on my nerves again."

"Was he breathing too loud? Mike keeps breathing through his mouth because his nose is stuffed up and it's slowly driving me insane." She narrowed her eyes to slits at her boyfriend who was currently chewing with his mouth open to breathe.

Rachel chuckled. Mike and Tina had recently moved in together and both were having issues adjusting. They had been together for years, but never lived with one another for an extended period of time. Tina had been quite upset with him for a while before he moved in as he dropped out of school and joined his friend's dance company to be closer to her and their baby. Despite all her and his parents' protests, he didn't change his mind. They currently shared a small two bedroom in Long Island City and it was taking a while to get into the swing of a new life together.

"No. We're just arguing about his Irish Issue."

"Is that what we're calling her now?"

"It's a good code name."

Hiram stood then, glass and knife in hand clinking together. "Excuse me everyone, excuse me." Once he had everyone's attention, he cleared his throat and began, "Hello everyone. For those of you I don't know, I'm Hiram Berry, Rachel's Papa, and I wanted to say a few quick words before we started to eat."

Rachel reddened and buried her face in her hands as a slideshow with pictures of her growing up and a piano version of Happy Birthday began to play.

"Thirty years ago I was in a playhouse in Newark, New Jersey, seeing a production of _A Raisin in the Sun_ when I fell in love with the man I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with. As it turned out, I was right about the man in that show, and Leroy and I have spent 30 amazing years together. And roughly 25 years ago, we decided to start a family. About two years after that decision, Rachel Barbra Berry was born, wailing her little head off, body red as a tomato, weighing six pounds, 19 inches long, making her Daddy and I the happiest men in the world. From the moment she was conceived, Rachel has been the light in our life, our whole world. We watched her grow from a precocious child into a brilliant young woman and we are so proud of her. And now, 23 years later she's out of our house, a college graduate pursuing Broadway, engaged, and about to have a baby of her own, and making others' worlds brighter too." Hiram nodded to Finn who took Rachel's hand and squeezed it. "She isn't a baby anymore, but she will always be our baby. We love you, Rachel, and wish you the happiest of birthdays."

"Here, here!" Leroy yelled, raising his glass. "Happy birthday, Rachel!"

Everyone else joined in, raising their glasses and wishing Rachel a happy birthday, quieting down again to eat until slow clapping could be heard coming from the plastic covering the entryway. They all turned their head toward the person clapping and found a woman standing there.

She was tall and blonde, pale skin, and a mischievous quirk to her lips as her gaze zeroed in on Rachel. Though Rachel had never seen the woman before, she knew exactly who she was.

"Teagan…"

"What a stirring speech, Mr. Berry. But you forgot to mention a few things about your _baby girl_." Teagan strolled forward and Finn stood to intercept her.

"What are you doing here?" he growled at her, gripping her arms and attempting to push her back.

Teagan looked around him at Rachel and waved her fingers at her. "Well, when I saw Rachel's party event planned for today on Facebook, I just knew I had to drop by to say happy birthday. I was looking for the opportune moment to say hello, and I found it."

"You're not welcome here, now get out."

"Now, don't be rude Finn. Let me see the birthday girl, have my word, and then I'll be on my merry way." She faked right and spun left away from Finn, knowing all too well he would try to block her. "Hello, Rachel. Having a good birthday?"

"I was until you showed up. Who even let you back here?"

"Oh, the lovely blonde girl at the bar. Kitty, is it?"

All eyes were on Rachel and the mystery woman, quizzical expressions on their faces. Teagan put her hands on Rachel's shoulders and squeezed, leaning forward to look at her fathers on the opposite side of the table.

"You have one hell of a daughter, Mr. and Mr. Berry."

Leroy and Hiram smiled proudly. "We think so too. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we haven't met. I'm Leroy and this is my husband, Hiram. You are?"

"My name is Teagan."

Finn tried to pull Teagan away but she fought him off. "Teagan…"

"Finn, let her speak. I'm afraid that name isn't familiar. How do you know Rachel?"

Teagan smiled in victory at Finn. "I don't. I know Finn. This is my first time meeting the woman who stole him from under my nose."

"Excuse me?"

Finn sent his ex a glare. "Teagan! Don't!"

Teagan stood to her full height and dug her nails into Rachel's shoulders, making her hiss. "Oh, Rachel didn't tell you? Yeah, Finn was mine first. He was so in love with me he actually married me." Everyone listening gasped at this piece of information. "In fact, he's still married to me. So not only is your daughter dumb enough to get herself knocked up by a one-night stand, she said yes to marrying a man who is already married without even knowing he was married because he lied to her."

Growing tired of it all, Rachel turned in her chair to address the nuisance. "I've had enough of you. Who do you think you are coming into my fiancé's restaurant, to my birthday party, trying to ruin my day? I know about Finn's mistake with you and I know about all the horrible things you did to him and don't even try to deny it. I spoke to your brother and even he doesn't like you and thinks you aren't worth the time. You are not going to come between me and Finn and whatever it is you want, you are not going to get from Finn, so you might as well give us the last signature and get the hell out of our life."

Teagan crossed her arms over her chest and sized Rachel up. "If you know the story, you know I get what I want."

"And what is that?"

"Finn."

"Fat chance. You and Finn may still be married, but that doesn't mean you're his wife. You used him and took advantage of his love, lying to the one person who genuinely cared for you to save your own ass. After everything you did to him, what makes you think Finn would ever want you back?"

"Because he's still in love with me." She blew Finn a kiss and winked at him.

Finn snorted loudly and crossed his arms over his chest. "What drugs are you on? Must be some good shit, because I am not in love with you. Get it through your thick head that we are done. I do not love you; I want you out of my life. I love Rachel, we're having a baby together, and I'm marrying her."

"Not without a divorce."

"You aren't making any fucking sense! We haven't spoken in seven years and now that I'm moving on you suddenly want me? It just doesn't add up. I don't understand what you could gain from prolonging this divorce since it's obvious I'm not going back to you."

"I have my reasons. I was wrong all those years ago to leave you. I see that now and I want to restart. We're already married so it wouldn't be that hard."

"Is it money? I can get you money if you leave me alone."

"I don't want money, silly." She ran her hand along his chest. "I want to be your wife, for real."

Frustration brewing, Rachel pushed herself to her feet quickly and instantly regretted it. Her head spun and she swayed on her feet. "Enough," she tried to shout to get them to stop fighting, but it only came out half-heartedly. "Fi-" Her head spun and everything was fuzzy until the room started to tilt and her vision darkened.

The last thing she saw before slipping into total unconsciousness was the fear on Finn's face as he reached out for her.


	25. The Agreement

I would just like to thank you all for your patience. I always want to write but sometimes life doesn't work with me and I get delayed. But I have the next chapter. A healthy dose of fluff and another milestone for our favorite couple. Enjoy!

* * *

She could hear the beeping and smell the sterility of the environment before she actually saw where she was. The material covering her body was stiff and scratchy on her skin and the bed she was lying on was highly uncomfortable. When she did finally open her eyes the light overhead was bright, the white walls blinding, exacerbating the headache she had. She could hear muted conversation behind the blue curtain blocking her view and it sounded like an argument being had. The voices were familiar and when she sat up and saw the shoes on the other side, she knew why. Her fathers were behind the curtain and from what she could make out, they were arguing about Finn.

"Dads?"

The curtain flew back and her fathers, both looking extremely relieved, rushed to her side and each took a hand in theirs. "Sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

"A little headache, but otherwise fine. What happened?" Hiram felt her head and she winced at the contact. "Ow."

"You fainted at your party and hit your head on a chair on the way down."

She glanced down at her belly in a panic, tears springing to her eyes. "The baby…"

"He's fine. The doctor said he's healthy and he never even got close to being hurt. Finn caught you before you hit the floor, but you smacked your head pretty hard. You've been out for a few hours. You have a bump on the head and a slight concussion, but the doctors said you'll be okay. They want to keep you overnight to monitor your head just in case."

"I don't…I don't understand. Why did I faint?"

"When you stood up too fast your blood pressure dropped causing you to pass out and your blood sugar was extremely low."

Leroy pointed to her IV bag. "They've been bringing your blood sugar and hydration levels back up slowly."

Rachel nodded along then realized what was missing. "Where's Finn?" Her fathers shared an uneasy glance. "I want to see Finn. He must be so worried."

"Only two visitors are allowed in at one time."

"Then could one of you leave for a little while so I can talk to him, please." She felt bad asking them to leave but she needed to see Finn. She needed to know what happened.

"Rachel, only immediate family members are allowed in at this time of day."

"Finn is an immediate family member."

Leroy shook his head. "Sweetheart, Finn is not considered immediate family. You aren't married-"

"But he's my fiancé and my baby's father. He has a right to see us."

"Hospital policy says otherwise."

Rachel started kicking her blankets off. "Then I'll go out to see him."

Her Daddy held her back and tucked her into bed again to keep her warm. "Rachel, you can't leave. You have a head injury."

"I have to see Finn."

"Rachel, you need rest. All this stress isn't good for the baby."

"And to be honest," Hiram cut in, "we don't think it's a good idea for you to see Finn. He's the cause of all of this."

"Hiram…"

"No, Leroy, he is. If he wasn't in Rachel's life, she wouldn't be in the hospital right now."

"I'm in the hospital because of low blood pressure, not Finn."

"You have low blood pressure because you're pregnant with his child. You fainted because his _wife_ crashed your birthday party. Did you know he was married when you accepted his proposal? Before you slept with him? Were you ever going to tell us he was already married?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at his dramatic rant. "Papa, you aren't the one even engaged to him."

"No, but you are, and you're my daughter and I love you and want what's best for you. I'm not so sure Finn is what's best for you."

"Papa, Finn is a good man and he loves me and our son. He's made some mistakes but all of us have. I'm an adult capable of making my own decisions and Finn is my choice. You can't tell me what is or is not best for me. Only I can decide that. Now will you please let me see Finn? He's probably worried sick."

Leroy put his hand on Hiram's shoulder. "Hiram, Finn has a right to see her."

"The hospital says-"

"Hiram," Leroy replied sternly, "I don't care what the hospital says. Finn is her fiancé and her child's father. He has every right to be here."

Hiram nodded and turned away. "Fine." He walked through the curtain and out of the room in a huff leaving Rachel and Leroy alone.

"Why is he so upset? I'm the one in the hospital and I'm not even that upset."

"He's worried about you. He's upset that your life was put in danger and he's looking for somewhere to put his anger. Finn is easiest."

"It isn't Finn's fault. It was an accident. It could have happened anytime, anywhere. And what if Finn hadn't been there to catch me? I could have been seriously injured or seriously injured the baby. Papa needs to relax and understand that."

"He will. Just give him some time to blow off some steam." Leroy pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead. "I'll go get Finn for you."

"Thank you, Daddy." She pressed a kiss to his cheek and Leroy smiled down at her as he withdrew. He left the room and Rachel sat alone, running her hands over her belly. "I'm so sorry, Baby. I'm supposed to take care of you and I messed up, but I promise I will do better. I love you and I'm going to be the best mom to you I can be, okay? I promise."

A few moments later, the curtain flew back and a frazzled Finn rushed to her bedside. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand in his and brushing his other along her cheek. "Rachel…"

"I'm okay, Finn."

"They wouldn't let me in because we aren't married. I tried finding out what was going on but no one would tell me anything."

"I know. But I'm alright and so is Baby. I just have a minor concussion."

"Well, what caused it? Why did you faint?"

"Low blood pressure. When I stood up it caused me to faint. I've been on fluids because my blood sugar was low and I was dehydrated too. But I'm okay."

Finn sighed in relief and pressed his forehead to Rachel's. "I was so worried about you." Rachel slipped her hands into his hair and pulled his lips to hers for a soft kiss.

"I'm sure I would have been too if you were in this bed and I was stuck out in the waiting room with no answers." Finn pulled back and looked at her. "We need to get married so this won't happen again." That's when the reason she passed out came back to mind. "What happened with Teagan? Did she sign?"

"Not yet. She bolted out of there pretty fast after you fainted."

Rachel huffed and leaned back into the pillows. "What is her problem? Why is she doing this to us?"

"I don't know. I know she doesn't really want me back; she didn't want me in the first place. There's something else she wants and she's using me to get it again."

"Then we need to find out her motive. Finn, we need to talk to her."

"I didn't want you near her before, I really don't want you near her now. I don't want you to end up in this hospital again because of her."

"I'm in the hospital because I stood up too fast. It's not like Teagan beat me up."

Finn looked at her seriously, no room for argument in his eyes. "Rachel, you are not talking to Teagan. I will deal with her." He placed his hand over her stomach. "You worry about taking care of yourself and our baby, I will deal with the crazy Irish banshee."

Rachel chuckled and held his hand. "I wish I could go home. I just want to curl up in bed with you and forget this all happened."

"I can see if they'll release you."

"That would be nice, but I don't think they'll let me go until the morning." She scooted to the side of the bed and patted the space next to her. "You could join me here instead."

Finn rested next to her and she turned into his body for comfort and protection. It was a tight squeeze but neither really minded as long as they had the other. Rachel felt safe and loved in his arms, a warmth descending down her body when she felt his lips touch the top of her head in a loving embrace.

"I can't wait until we're married. Then they won't be able to keep us from each other."

"I know. They're treating us like we're stupid teenagers."

Rachel tilted her head back and stared at him. "Well, to be fair, we did have unprotected sex resulting in a pregnancy when we weren't even dating while you were married to another woman without anyone knowing about it. That doesn't exactly scream mature adult."

Finn rolled his eyes. "I said we aren't stupid teenagers, not that we're perfect."

"They're just worried about us."

"They're worried about you. Your dads couldn't give a rat's ass about me."

She pushed herself up to eye Finn seriously. "That is not true. You're their future son-in-law and the father of their grandchild. Of course they care about you."

"They certainly have a funny way of showing it," Finn grumbled back. He sighed tiredly and brushed his fingers along Rachel's cheek. "You look tired, babe. You should get some rest."

Just then Rachel yawned, showing how sleepy she was actually feeling. "Perhaps…" She laid back down and the grabbed the remote of the TV to channel surf until she fell asleep. Sometime in the middle of a Golden Girls episode, Rachel's consciousness slipped into dreams. They were relatively peaceful visions despite the drama of the day, until a bang shattered her serenity and jolted her to a near heart attack.

Eyes bleary, Rachel slowly sat up to find a nurse in her room. "Sorry," she whispered, "I dropped the clipboard."

"It's okay," she waved her off. "It's so hot in here. Would it be possible to open the door for some air?"

The woman nodded. "Certainly." Once propped open, Rachel finally noticed that she was alone in bed when she had previously had a 6'3" snuggly pillow-man next to her.

"Finn?" she croaked, but when she heard the voices coming from outside, she realized he was one of them.

"What is your problem with me? I have done nothing but love your daughter and care for her since this all happened."

Then she heard her Papa. "My problem is exactly that. You are the cause of all this and we both know the only reason you're still here is because of that baby."

"I'm marrying Rachel for Christ's sake. I wouldn't marry her if I didn't love her and want to be with her. There's no rule that says I have to marry Rachel to be in my son's life."

"I think your current wife would speak otherwise about your motives for marriage."

"You don't know anything about that."

"Oh, I know I don't. Because you conveniently hid the truth from everyone, including your own family and Rachel."

"I told Rachel because I love her and didn't want to keep the truth from her anymore. She forgave me, why can't you?"

"Rachel obviously isn't thinking straight. She's a hormonal young woman in the first serious relationship of her life. She's having a baby at a vulnerable time in her life and is probably just too scared to raise her son alone to admit-"

"Admit that she wants to leave me? Trust me, if Rachel wanted out of this relationship, she would be gone. I was actually preparing for her to leave, but she stayed and gave me another chance because what we have is bigger than some mistake I made nearly ten years ago. She gets that and accepted that it happened and moved on. I love your daughter and I'm going to be here until she decides she doesn't want me around anymore. _I _am taking her to _our_ home that we share because that is where she lives and where her life is now. If she has to rest that is the best place for her to do it."

"Where she'll be alone and have to fend for herself all day? That defeats the purpose of resting. And besides, she has her own bed in her room at our home where she lived long before you were ever a factor."

"She won't be alone. My family-"

"Rachel has her own family to look after her. I'm on break from school until well after her due date and I can work on my cases from home. If she comes with us-"

"She's not going to Newark. She wants to have the baby in Manhattan. I'm not going to risk her going into labor without me nearby."

"Finn-"

"Were you even going to take what I want into account or are you both going to make decisions for me?" Growing tired of their debate, Rachel wrestled out of bed and waddled her way into the hall, towing her IV stand behind her, to put an end to the argument.

Finn tried to speak first, but her Papa cut him off and stepped in front of him in a display of alpha male dominance. "Rachela, sweetheart, what are you doing out of bed? You should be resting." Hiram wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her back inside the room, Finn bringing up the rear.

"I wanted to know why exactly two people who are not me are trying to make my decisions. Why didn't you think to ask me where I wanted to go when I leave here?"

"Rachel, what have we told you about eavesdropping?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I could hear you clearly through the open door you were both speaking so loud. You were talking about resting? Did the doctor say something about it?"

Hiram and Finn shared a glance. "While you were asleep earlier, the doctor came by and was suggesting you take it easy for the remainder of your pregnancy. Stay home and rest to lower the chances of you fainting again. Just as a precautionary measure."

"And then your father just assumed he would be taking you back to Newark," Finn crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Hiram with judgment in his eyes, "but I know you want to stay here…at your home…with me."

Hiram took Rachel's hand and sat on the bedside. "Rachel, Finn has to work which means you would be alone during the day."

"But my mom, Burt, Blaine, and Kurt all said they would come over to keep you company if you wanted when I can't be there which won't even be that often."

"But if you come with Daddy and me, I'll be there all day just to help you. School is out and I only have one case right now so I can work from home."

Rachel weighed her options, eyes darting back and forth between her father and fiancé. If she was to be stuck with bed rest for the next two to three weeks, she needed to consider where she would be most comfortable. While she loved her dads and sometimes did miss the relative ease of living with them, Manhattan was her home now. Finn was her home. She couldn't imagine spending so much time away from him, especially at the most critical point in her pregnancy. She wanted her son born in Manhattan with her doctor, with her fiancé by her side.

"Papa, you know I love you and Daddy so much, and I am so grateful and appreciative that you would take care of me, but Finn is right. I want to go to my home in Manhattan. I want to have our baby here and I can't stay away from Finn for that long. How would you feel if someone tried keeping you from Daddy?"

"We wouldn't be keeping you from him. He could come visit."

"Papa, I don't want to worry about visitation rights to see my fiancé. I'm not 13 years old anymore where I have to keep the door open if a boy is in my room. You have to accept the fact that I'm not a little girl anymore and that you and Daddy are not the only men in my life. And just so you are aware, I'm not with Finn because I'm scared to be a single mother. I'm with Finn because I connect with him on levels I never could with any other man, because he makes me feel beautiful and sexy and he doesn't run away screaming from my crazy and respects me, but most of all because I love him and for the first time, he loves me just as much just the way I am."

Hiram didn't seem expressly happy but didn't continue to argue anymore. He simply nodded in acknowledgement and squeezed Rachel's hand before pressing a kiss to the back of it. "I uh," he cleared his throat loudly, "I will, uh, go see about getting you released. It's morning now so there's no reason to keep you anymore."

Rachel smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Papa."

He firmly nodded once and stood up to exit the room, nodding again to Finn. Relieved that the fight was over, Rachel pressed her head back into the pillow and let out a long sigh.

"We've come a long way since April. The girl I knew back then never would have said such nice things when it came to me."

"Well, you wouldn't leave me alone so I couldn't really stop you from growing on me," she replied sarcastically, giggling at Finn as he stalked forward to give her a heartfelt kiss.

When they made it home nearly two hours later, Rachel was already sick of 'resting' and she hadn't even started.

"Finn, Dads, I'm pregnant, not disabled. I can still walk." All three men had been fussing over Rachel ever since leaving the hospital and treating her like _she_ was the infant instead of just the carrier of one. All of them had a hand on her as they led her up the stairs to the front door and Finn had even offered to carry her up to their room once inside. "Would the three of you get a grip?!" Finn squeezed her sides tighter and she hissed and swatted at him. "Not on me, on yourself! You all are driving me crazy. The doctor said I'm still fine to walk around the house."

"But she said to avoid stairs," Finn worried, looking at the stairwell as if it would kill their unborn baby.

"Which is why when I'm ready to go upstairs you have permission to help me, but until then, let go!" Rachel ripped out of the men's grasp and angrily waddled into the kitchen holding her back which suddenly was tense with stress. She was hungry and needed some comfort food.

Her dads and Finn followed her into the kitchen and Leroy cleared his throat to get her attention as she set the water to boil for macaroni and cheese.

"Babe, let me get that," Finn offered until Rachel snarled at him. He put his hands up in surrender and took a few steps away from the scary pregnant lady.

"Rachel, do you need anything else before we head home?" Leroy asked slowly, trying not to incite her rage.

She took a few deep breaths to calm her frustration, "No. I just need a few moments to myself."

"Okay. We'll be back in a few days to see how you're doing then. Can we at least get a hug before we leave?"

Rachel tried a smile and acquiesced, hugging and kissing them both on the cheek in farewell before turning back to her water. Only she and Finn were left now and when she glared over her shoulder at him, he got the hint and scurried out of the kitchen to leave her alone.

After eating some food and getting some time to sit alone with no one bothering her, Rachel felt much better than she had since before her party. So when Finn knocked on the wall and timidly asked if he could come in, she didn't bite his head off and actually flashed a genuine smile.

"Feeling better?"

"I won't snap at you again, if that's what you mean. I was just hungry and the constant watch was bugging me. I'm not a baby."

Finn stood behind Rachel and leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek and hug her, smoothing his hands over her bulging belly. "Think you'll get any bigger?"

"I seriously hope not. I'm big enough as it is since I've been measuring about a week ahead for the past two months. I blame you and Papa for that with your big and tall DNA. Why couldn't a normal sized sperm fertilize my egg?"

"I guess the bigger, meaner sperm pushed them out of the way to get the lead." Finn chuckled and turned Rachel's head so he could see her face. "Can you come with me to the living room?"

She nodded and took Finn's help to get out of the chair. They held hands as he led her to the living room and she grinned when she saw all the presents on the coffee table. "My birthday presents! I completely forgot about them."

"Kurt and Blaine rounded them up and brought them over last night. I thought you'd like to open them now."

Like a little kid, Rachel ripped the paper to shreds in her haste to accept her gifts and gushed about each and every one, from the Sephora gift card from Tina to the bright pink Louboutin's Kurt had given her. But the gifts she treasured most were the ones Finn saved for last.

"I actually got you two gifts because the one I didn't want to share with everyone else at the party," Finn confessed, making Rachel blush at the implication.

"Oh really? Well, perhaps we should save that one for last."

Finn grinned and pulled out a little bag from Tiffany & Co. "This is your audience appropriate gift."

"The little blue box," she stated, pulling the trademark Tiffany box out of the bag. "One of my dreams ever since I was a child." Rachel opened the box to find a diamond graffiti style X necklace. "An X?"

"So no matter where you go you'll always have a kiss from me. I know you're big on the Xs and Os."

Rachel could feel the happy tears welling in her eyes. "I love it." She pressed a real kiss to Finn's lips and the bag fell off her lap, spilling the remaining contents onto the couch. "Another box?" she noticed when their kiss broke. "Is this the inappropriate gift?"

"No. Still part of the first."

"Finn! That's too much."

"Don't lie. You were sending subtle – and not so subtle – messages about your bling for weeks."

Rachel looked away, guilty at being caught red-handed. "Just because I wanted some bling doesn't mean I needed a lot of it."

"Fine, if you don't want it…" Finn started to take the box from her but Rachel held it in a firm iron grip.

"No, no. You already bought it and I hate returning gifts."

He chuckled and released his hold on the box. "I had a feeling you'd say that. So what are you waiting for? Open it!"

With haste, Rachel opened the second box and her eyes widened at the gorgeous diamond graffiti style heart studs to match the necklace. "Finn, they're beautiful."

"You like 'em?"

"I love them…and I love you." She kissed him again and attempted to take it further but Finn pulled away.

"You're supposed to be resting."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "The doctor said not to stand up too quickly or for too long and to avoid stressful situations. Dr. Pearl said nothing about not having sex."

"You still have presents to open." Finn moved off the couch to the closet and pulled out a large cellophane covered basket. He placed it on the coffee table and Rachel scooted to the edge of the couch.

Inside the basket were two bottles of wine, a Broadway gift card, candles, gourmet Italian coffee and ingredients for a romantic Italian dinner for two, as well as a few naughtier items such as flavored condoms, massage oils, bubble bath and chocolate edible body paint, what appeared to be a rose that came apart to be a red lace thong, and a book of sex coupons.

"I see why you wouldn't give this to me in front of people. It's very naughty. I love it."

"I figured we could use this for a date night after Baby is born. Make our first time we have sex while you're not pregnant – or getting pregnant – really romantic. You deserved so much more than a drunken hook-up that ended badly."

"While getting pregnant was unexpected and not the desired result of that night, I wouldn't consider it a bad thing. I'm very happy with my life."

"I didn't mean getting you pregnant. I don't regret that. I just regret not remembering and pissing you off that morning."

"Oh. Yes, that could have ended on a better note." Rachel picked up the sex coupons and flipped through the booklet. "Now that I have my gifts, perhaps we can practice for our date night. There are quite a few coupons in here and there's no way we could use them all in one night." Rachel fanned herself with the little booklet and bit her lip. "I was thinking about cashing in on the full body massage."

"That sounds like a good idea. But I have one more gift."

"_Another _one? You said you only had two."

"This one isn't for you." Rachel scrunched her brow and Finn pointed at her belly. "It's for him."

He pulled a box from Build-A-Bear out from the closet and Rachel clapped her hands and shook in excitement. "You made him a stuffed animal?"

"Yeah, Puck took the kids to Build-A-Bear a few days ago while I was with them and I decided to make a bear with them. I thought since you nixed my Giants theme, I could do at least something." He pulled the bear out of the box and Rachel laughed at the stuffed animal.

"You got your Giants." The simple brown bear was dressed in a New York Giants uniform with Hudson embroidered on the back of the jersey. She found the adoption certificate and appreciated the name. "Teddy Bear Hudson."

"I remembered your story about teddy bears. See? I listen."

Rachel stared hard at the certificate and thought about the name. Teddy Hudson. Theodore Hudson. Theodore Christopher Hudson. "Finn, what do you think of the name Theodore?"

"Why?"

"I really like how Theodore Hudson sounds. Teddy for short, or Ted. What do you think?"

He seemed to contemplate the idea. "Theodore…" he said like he was playing with it. Rachel was certain he was going to reject it just like he had with all her previous choices but then he started nodding his head. "I like it. It's not an everyday name but it's not super out there either."

"Kind of like Finn."

"Did we just agree on a name for our son?"

Rachel's mouth split into a wide grin. "I think we did."

"We did?"

"Yes! We named our son!" Rachel threw her arms around Finn in a hug and pressed a kiss to Finn's cheek.

When she pulled back, Finn put his hands on either side of Rachel's stomach and lowered his head to speak to her belly. "Hey son, guess what! You have a name! Your name is Theodore! We don't have to call you Baby anymore. Isn't that exciting news?" When he didn't get a reaction a pout grew on his face.

"I think he's asleep. But I know a way we could wake him up…" Rachel giggled and pushed up to her feet, putting her hands out for Finn to take. "I could really use some help upstairs now."

Finn picked up the sex coupons and flipped to the one he needed, tearing it out. "Your wish is my command." He bowed his head and Rachel noticed the coupon had Genie written on it with the same phrase underneath.

"Do I only get three wishes?"

"For you…endless." He tugged Rachel into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips.

"I have a feeling Teddy is going to be waking up any time now."

As Finn whisked her up to their bedroom, Rachel had never felt happier or more in love in her entire life.


	26. The Conclusion

It took a while, but chapter 26 is here! Don't let the title fool you, there is still plenty more story to be told. Enjoy!

* * *

"Finn? Did you put all the presents under the tree?" She examined the wrapping paper coordinated gifts for their family and friends attending Christmas dinner and felt that a few things were missing. She mumbled to herself and checked all the packages against her checklist of names. "Carole – angel paper – check, Burt – Santa paper – check, Blaine – gingerbread men – check, Kurt – ornaments – check, Tina and Mike – snowmen, Puckermans – penguins…" She tapped her pen against her lips. "Finn?! Do you have the gifts for my dads and Santana and Brittany wrapped yet?"

"Bringing them now, babe." Finn entered the living room carrying a mountain of boxes in his arms, his head completely disappearing behind them, only his large Santa hat poking over the top. "Is there space for them?"

"Between the fireplace and tree." She directed him there so he wouldn't trip over the other presents and grinned happily seeing her list was complete. "That appears to be all of them. Now we can focus on dinner and making sure it won't be a disaster."

"It wouldn't be taking as long if we had just gone with ham."

Rachel rounded on him. "Finn, there are going to be at least four Jews at dinner tonight. We cannot serve them ham! I know I may not always be kosher but my fathers are and if we only had ham they wouldn't have anything to eat. The prime rib was necessary. And since when are you averse to meat of any kind?"

"I'm not. It's just more work for you to stress over. You're supposed to be relaxing."

She huffed for what felt the millionth time since returning home from the hospital a week ago. "Finn, I am relaxed. Stop telling me to relax. We have plenty of time to cook. Dinner isn't for another four hours, we're ahead of schedule with the wrapping and table setting, as well as hors d'oeuvres since we went low key with veggie, cheese, and cracker platters. Now, you go work on the food and I'm going to start getting ready. People will be here in about two hours." She patted his chest and held her back as she waddled over to the stairs.

"Let me help you."

"I'm fine. I think I can make it to the bathroom by myself."

"Humor me, please."

Rachel rolled her eyes but put her hand out for Finn to take. He had insisted upon helping her up and down the stairs whenever home and when he wasn't but another was in his place, he insisted that person insist on helping her. "I cannot wait until Teddy decides to make his debut. I'm sick of everyone treating me like a baby because he's too comfortable." She looked down at her belly and poked it. "Ya hear me in there? I have no problem with you coming out early."

"You can't rush him. He's waiting until he's just right to join us."

"Well, I think he'll be perfect however he comes out." They made it to their bedroom and Rachel felt winded from the climb up. "I think I may need to move into the living room until after I pop. The third floor is too far away." She plopped down on the bed and absently rubbed her stomach as Finn knelt in front of her and tugged her bootie slippers off her feet, rubbing them soothingly and making her moan in delight. "You are the best."

"I can't say this is totally selfless. I kinda have an ulterior motive." He pressed a kiss to the inside of Rachel's ankle and began pushing the bottoms of her candy cane flannel pajamas up her calves, kissing higher before pushing her knees apart and shuffling to rest between them. "We have at least 40 minutes until you really _have_ to get ready."

"Finn," she weakly protested, "I need to get ready."

"It's Christmas. I want to give you a present." He placed his hands on her hips and toyed with the elastic waist, hooking his fingers under it to tug them down.

She wanted to resist but his large hands just felt too good on her skin, massaging the ache in her lower back and hips, making her need for him grow. Rachel laid back on the bed and lifted her hips to allow Finn to pull her pajamas off. Shivers ran down her spine as his lips pressed against her knee, lightly suckling as he trailed up her thighs, pushing her legs apart. She arched her back and whined when he gripped her thighs, smoothing his hands down her heated skin to hitch her knees over his shoulders.

Though she couldn't see his head behind her huge protruding belly, she could feel his hot breath on her inner thigh, his wet lips against her skin as his fingers lightly grazed her center through the material of her snowflake covered panties. When the cool air hit her as he pushed them away, his long fingers sinking deep inside her, Rachel shook and bucked her hips up signaling her need.

"F-finn…ohhh…" she moaned deeply, licking her lips as her face scrunched in delight from her fiancé's touch. His ministrations were languid and teasing, riling her up. Her breath grew harsh and deep, her chest rising and falling in sync with the motion of Finn's fingers. "More!"

She heard Finn chuckle then squealed when his lips wrapped around her taught little nub and sucked. Then his tongue moved in tight circles around her clit before slipping down to taste her arousal. "I love you," she heard him groan before sucking on her once more.

Delirious in the feeling of him, Rachel was certain she had never felt so wound up and ready to snap. He pumped his fingers and nuzzled her heat with his lips and the tip of his tongue, able to feel her clenching around him hot and tight.

"Harder…a-almost…ohhh…OOHHHH!" Rachel clawed the sheets, hips gyrating as Finn obliged and thrust in harder, lapping at her until she exploded onto his tongue. He rolled his tongue through her slit collecting the juices sweeter than the yummiest candy. Her nerves flamed out of control as her orgasm tore through her intense and fast, leaving her sweaty, sensitive, and completely out of breath.

"Merry Christmas!" Finn yelled, popping his head up, hat askew, with a wide grin on his face from behind her belly. He got on the bed and knelt between her thighs, lightly grazing his hardness along her tender folds to indicate his need. "Know what the best Christmas song to listen to while having sex dressed as Santa is?" Rachel shook her head. "Here Comes Santa Claus."

Rachel's belly heaved in laughter at his bad joke, releasing a loud snort as she rolled onto her side, giggling into her pillow. "I thought it might have been Let It Snow."

Finn tugged her legs apart again and pressed his body into hers. "I thought of that, but the other one works better. Now…" he gripped her thighs and leaned forward slightly, careful not to squish her stomach, "Santa is ready to squeeze his big fat self into a tiny hole to deliver his present."

She rolled her eyes and bit back another round of raucous laughter, instead sitting up and eyeing his distinctly outlined erection through his _A Christmas Story_ boxer briefs before landing on the clock on the wall behind him. "Oh my gosh! It's been a half an hour. Finn, I have to get ready." In a sudden rush, Rachel wiggled her way off the bed leaving Finn staring mouth agape at her with a painful erection pointing in her direction.

"What? You're seriously going to leave me high and dry?"

Rachel pulled her shirt off and stood in the doorway to the bathroom. "You're welcome to get wet with me in the shower," she flirted, winking at him and disappearing behind the door.

Seconds later, Finn stood behind her completely nude as he ground his length into her behind. "So, how you wanna do this? Bend you over the counter or sit you on the counter? Or I could sit and you could ride me reverse cowgirl." He licked his lips and his eyes glazed over in fantasy.

Without a word, Rachel drew back the shower curtain and turned on the water to run a bath, pouring bubbles in. She crooked her finger at him as she stood in the tub and he followed like a dog on a leash.

"Tub sex, yes! Not sure if this tub is actually big enough though." He examined the size but quickly lost interest when he felt Rachel's slender fingers wrap around his hot manhood, teasing the velvety flesh while her other hand ventured to caress other areas below the waist.

"The tub may not be big enough for us to share a bath, but I can think of other activities we can do in here together." She turned him around and pressed him back against the wall, kissing his collarbone, down his chest, lowering herself to sit on the edge of the tub as she went. Once balanced on the side, she stared up into his loving eyes, smiling as she stroked his soft flesh ever so gently. "I want to give you a present like you gave me. It's been far too long since I've tasted you on my lips." To amend this grievance, Rachel ducked her head forward to press a soft kiss to the tip of his cock, working his shaft with her hand. She opened her lips and took his head between them, stroking her tongue along the underside, sending a shiver of gratitude through her fiancé. "Mmmm…so good, baby."

Nothing to grab onto, Finn brushed the hair from Rachel's face and fisted it in his hands as she opened wider and took more of him in. She loved the feel of his hard girth on her tongue, hitting the back of her throat as she swallowed all of him that she could. Before Finn, giving head was always a chore and something Rachel tried to avoid, but when it came to her fiancé, it was something she loved to do for him. He always responded with enthusiasm and praise, treating it, and her, like a privilege rather than a right. Finn made Rachel feel special and in return she wanted to do the same for Finn.

With a pop, Rachel released his length from her mouth and smiled up at Finn as she continued pumping him with her hand. "Feel good?"

"So good…please, don't stop." His hips bucked in need and Rachel resumed sucking on his heated skin, licking him teasingly along the length of his cock, kissing his abdomen as she ran her thumb over his tip.

She swallowed him again, slowly sucking back up to the head, pointing her tongue to graze along the underside and when she started humming and bobbed her head back down, she felt Finn swell and hardened into a brick. He held her head still for a moment and she heard him moan, the feel of his hot cum spilling out touching the back of her throat, her tongue brushing along the bottom of his head to make it last. She gulped the hot liquid down and removed him from her mouth, teasing his tip with her tongue for the excess.

Finn pressed his head back against the tile while Rachel worked his shaft with her hand until he started to soften again. "I need…I need to sit down." He slunk down the wall to stretch out in the tub and Rachel balled her hands on her hips and pouted at him.

"Hey! This is my bath," she whined, nudging his leg with her foot.

"We can share."

"We've already stated there isn't enough room."

He smirked at her. "We'll make room." Finn sat up and widened his legs before helping Rachel to sit between them. She laid her back against his chest and they worked to make themselves as comfortable as possible. Her belly was so big, the bubbles didn't come close to covering it. "I think we should spring for a bigger tub."

"Mhm," she replied quietly, lightly drawing circles on his thigh. Her eyes drooped closed and she felt happy warmth inside. "You can't stay in here too long. I really do need to get ready."

"Don't worry, I won't."

That was the last thing Rachel remembered before a shrill shriek startled her back to consciousness, causing her to splash cold water everywhere. "What?! Where's the fire?!"

"In my eyes! They burn!" Once Rachel focused she realized Kurt was in the bathroom shielding his eyes and turning away as he held out a towel, shaking it repeatedly. "Please show some modesty and cover yourselves!"

Her eyes widened and she pulled the shower curtain shut, cloaking her and Finn's nudity from her future brother-in-law. "Kurt! Get out!"

"With pleasure."

She heard the door shut and turned her head to look at Finn who was stunned silent. "I thought I told you to get out of the tub?"

"You fell asleep and looked so peaceful I couldn't move you. Then I fell asleep."

Rachel ripped the shower curtain open and gasped at the time on the clock. "We have been in here for two hours!" She struggled to get out of the tub but failed miserably until Finn calmed her down and lifted her out. "Go check the food! I hope it isn't ruined."

"I need to shower."

She glared angrily at him. "Go check the food then you can use one of the other showers in this building. This bathroom is mine right now." Shoving Finn out the door, Rachel proceeded to get ready for the party as fast as her pregnant body would allow.

Despite the hour delay in greeting her guests fully attired and presentable, the party was overall a success three hours in. The food, while a touch dry, had not gone up in flames as Rachel worried it had and Kurt managed not to blab to everyone that he caught them in the tub together.

The only problem Rachel had noticed was Finn's constant disappearing. Every time she seemed to need him, he was nowhere to be found, and when he was around he couldn't seem to put his phone down.

"Finn, who could you possibly be texting right now? Everyone you know is here and the restaurant is closed today," she griped into his ear quietly at the dinner table. Their family and friends were engaged in various conversations but Finn was furrowing his brow at his phone still.

"It's, uh, uh, a cousin…he lives in…Ohio." He smiled but Rachel didn't believe it.

"Well, tell him we're in the middle of a dinner party and that you will text him later." She smiled identically, adding a squeeze to his thigh, complete with nails digging in.

Capturing her attention, Carole asked her a question, "Rachel, have you packed a bag for the hospital yet? It's best to have everything ready beforehand than scramble at the last minute."

"Oh yes. I've had a bag ready since I hit the 23 week mark. I will take no chances."

"Did you finish the nursery yet?"

Rachel frowned. "Not yet. Dr. Pearl said to avoid stress and since Finn and I can't come to a compromise on the theme all I do is stress over it. We'll have to wait until after Teddy arrives to finish it. But it's okay. He'll probably spend the first few weeks in the bassinet in our room anyway. At least until he starts to sleep through the night."

"Just don't start letting him sleep in bed with you. You will never be able to get rid of him. Finn snuck into my bed nearly every night until he was seven."

Finn turned into a deer in headlights and his face went quite red. "Mom, seriously?"

She leaned forward and looked at him across the guests seated between them. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was that another secret you wanted to keep from everyone you knew for the rest of your life?" she asked bitterly.

"Carole," Burt warned, clutching her hand, "this is not the time."

Carole had been slightly bitter ever since she learned that her only biological child had gone and married some girl without telling anyone then not bothering to divorce her after what she had done. The argument had been pretty hard to watch just days before Christmas.

_"What were you thinking?!"_

_ "He wasn't, Carole. Typical Finn. Acting before considering all the consequences."_

_ Rachel felt horrible watching her future in-laws tear Finn's actions apart. He had been a kid when he made those choices and while they had every right to be mad, she thought it moot to continue to berate him now. She was his fiancée and hadn't even been as livid as Carole and Burt were now._

_ "How could you keep this from us? Why wouldn't you tell your mother you married someone? That's such a slap in the face, Finn."_

_ Finn couldn't look his step-father in the face. "I was going to tell you once Teagan and I were more settled but when I found out she used me, I was happy I hadn't told you. I was so ashamed of myself, I didn't want anyone to know how stupid I had been. But I was going to tell you. I never meant to hurt you."_

But he had. Carole couldn't look at him, and according to Burt when Rachel called her the next day, she was devastated that her little boy had gotten married without her. When she stopped by to keep Rachel comfortable for a few hours while Finn was at work, she broke down again.

_ "All I wanted out of life was to watch my child grow up to be happy and to see them get married and give me grandkids. And my boneheaded son couldn't even give me that." Carole raged from the island in the kitchen where she was dicing veggies for a salad._

_ Backing up her man, Rachel looked on the bright side. "Hey, he didn't mess up. I mean, he did, but that marriage failed. At least you have Teddy to look forward to and our wedding. You will still get to see him be happy."_

_ "That's true," Carole sniffed, Rachel unsure if it was sadness or the onions, "but what if his marriage to that woman had been successful? I wouldn't have gotten to see my baby's wedding at all. How could he do this to me?! I am his mother! I carried him for nearly 42 weeks, raised him by myself most of his life and this is how he repays me? Is it so much to ask to be at my only child's wedding?"_

_ "What about Kurt?"_

_ "I love Kurt, but it will not be the same. Finn is the only boy I raised to be a man…and apparently I failed." Carole burst into tears and Rachel stood from her chair to take the knife from her hand and lead her back to the table to sit. She consolingly patted her back before sitting next to her._

_ "Carole, you didn't fail. Finn is a great man. He takes care of the people he loves and takes responsibility for his actions, other than this one time. But he's human. He's going to make mistakes. That doesn't mean you failed at raising him to be a good man, a good person. His motives for marrying Teagan were pure and out of love, certainly misguided, but genuine."_

_ "I wish he would think about what he's doing before doing it. I hate seeing him make mistake after mistake and continuing to pay for them."_

_ Rachel swallowed thickly. "Well, do you think I'm one of his mistakes?" She was concerned the answer might be yes._

_ She picked her head up and wiped her eyes and took Rachel's hand. "Oh, sweetie, of course not. You're the best thing that's ever happened to Finn." She smiled and squeezed her fingers. "We all adore you and can't wait to meet Teddy."_

_ Rachel's eyes grew watery too. "See, not every poorly thought out decision of his ends badly." The women chuckled and Carole tugged her close for a hug._

_ "I'm so happy that you're a part of our family…but I'm still disappointed in him."_

And that was the way she stayed, the alcohol in her system and her menopause hormones exacerbating her anger and disappointment.

She just pursed her lips and turned away from Finn, heeding Burt's warning. Rachel sighed in relief that Carole was dropping it for now in light of Christmas dinner and decided to bring the subject back around to something lighter.

"So, what does everyone think of the prime rib and the ham?"

"Don't ask Finn, he won't tell you the truth." Carole sipped her wine and cut up some ham.

Finn squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I think it's delicious, babe."

"Thank you. I had hoped the new recipes would turn out well."

"Is that the truth? Or are you lying about that too?" Carole asked, acid in the question. Burt mumbled quietly to his wife and moved her glass of wine away from her. "Well if he had just told me the truth to begin with…"

Rachel addressed the room in an attempt to get off the subject again. "How was everyone's Christmas so far? Get any good gifts?"

Everyone was reluctant to speak, aggravating Rachel. This was her first party at her home with her fiancé and she was not going to let any Teagan drama ruin it or anymore of her parties. She and Finn had worked too hard to make their first Christmas together special.

"Let's just address the elephant in the room and get it over with. Yes, Finn is currently married and no one knew about it, including me for most of our relationship, but he's getting divorced. I have forgiven him and moved on to focus on more important things. Like, _our_ baby and _our_ wedding because that is what matters to me. Not some woman who married Finn under false pretenses and broke his heart. And Carole, I know you're still upset with him about the secrets and feel betrayed that he didn't tell you he got married, but you need to get over it. Teagan is a horrible person who talked a man into marrying her in a cheap ceremony in _Las Vegas_ only to stay in the country – not because she actually loved him – cheated on him and ripped his heart out, and is putting him through hell to get a divorce. Are you really that upset that you missed all of that? Do you really think you would have enjoyed having Teagan as your daughter-in-law? Watching her destroy your son's life?"

No one made a sound when Rachel finished speaking which further set her off. "Now everyone is going to change the subject to something happy and not controversial and enjoy the damn dinner it took me days to prepare!" She slammed her napkin down on the table and pushed back her chair to stand. "If you'll excuse me, this outburst has given me heartburn I must deal with. When I come back, I want you all cheery and bright in the Christmas spirit."

Rachel waddled out of the kitchen and the further away she got from her friends and family, the better she felt. When she heard Finn's distinct footsteps behind her however, her aggravation returned.

"Can't I get a moment to myself?" she muttered under her breath.

Finn took her hand and steered her toward the living room instead of the bathroom. "Come with me."

"Finn, I need to get the Tums in the bathroom."

"We're going upstairs." He grabbed a box from under the Christmas tree and started for the stairs, tugging Rachel behind him.

"There are Tums downstairs. Why do we need to go upstairs?"

"I have something to show you." He winked at her and she bit her lip in curiosity.

"We really shouldn't ditch our own party to have sex. We would be very poor hosts."

Finn rolled his eyes and held the small of her back as he helped her up the stairs. "I didn't realize pregnant women turn into horny teenage boys." He leaned closer as if whispering a secret. "Not everything is about sex. Now come on." They reached the second floor landing and stopped in front of the nursery. "If this doesn't cheery you up, I don't know what will."

He handed her the box with the train wrapping paper and Rachel stared up at him, tearing the gift open. Her heart melted when she found the little train engineer costume inside. "Finn, this is the cutest thing I have ever seen." She pushed up onto her toes and kissed his cheek.

"I thought it might go well with this…" He opened the door, Theodore painted in red on the outside, and Rachel's jaw dropped when she saw the masterpiece behind it.

"Oh…my…God! Finn!" She turned to him in pure amazement and shared in his brilliant smile. "When…how…?" Rachel had hardly left the house in days and wondered how he could pull off something so amazing without her knowing.

Taking her hand, he led her into the bedroom and explained, "I enlisted Kurt's help in finding the antique pieces and the mural painter and in distracting you so I could surprise you. Since you've been staying in the living room to avoid the stairs most of the day, it wasn't that hard to keep it a secret. I know you had your heart set on trains so I compromised."

The once plain and disorganized space was now a baby boy's room beyond Rachel dreams. All the furniture was assembled and neatly in place. Three walls were painted sky blue and the fourth was a large mural spanning the length of the wall of a train in the countryside, the smoke from the steam engine spelling out Theodore. Each car was painted a different color and inside all of them were various teddy bears: an engineer, a hobo, a couple with a fedora and a parasol, a little one with a New York Yankees cap, a bear in a Giants uniform, and hanging off the caboose was the conductor.

Running along the entire ceiling was a model train track and when Finn pressed a button on a remote next to the teddy bear lamp, a train came to life and started running and whistling around the track.

Inside the crib was a teddy bear blanket and train pillows, hanging over it on the wall an antique train bulletin board for the northeast, and lastly was Teddy Bear Hudson wearing an engineer outfit to match their son's sitting on a train toy box. Plus, all the supplies they would need to care for their son were out and in order, waiting to be used.

"I wanted to show you earlier, but we hadn't been able to get the train crossing sign and lights set up until Kurt brought them today and I wanted to wait until it was completely finished. That's why I kept disappearing." Finn flicked off the light and switched on the train crossing lights above the dresser to provide a soft yellow glow. "We changed the color from red to nightlight yellow and rigged it so the lights wouldn't flash. I figured it could be a nightlight."

Rachel's lower lip trembled dangerously and tears clouded her eyes as emotion overwhelmed her senses. The room was perfect and she couldn't wait for Teddy to get to come home to it. The effort Finn had put into it was astounding and she couldn't believe he had done it all without her even knowing. She put her hands over her mouth and sank into the rocking chair, a loud sob tearing from her throat. Tears spilled hot and fast as she completely lost it and cried uncontrollably.

Nervous, Finn knelt in front of her and soothingly rubbed her thighs. "Hey, hey, don't cry. If you really don't like it, we can always-"

"We're not changing a thing! I love it!" she yelled a little louder than she meant to. More sobs wracked her when Finn jolted away in reaction and she fought not to snot all over.

"If you love it, why are you crying?"

She hiccupped and clutched at her chest. "I-i-it's j-just so n-nice-ee." More tears spilled and even though she knew she was being absolutely ridiculous, she couldn't seem to stop them. She hiccupped again before a burp escaped. "Ex-cuse me."

Finn laughed and placed his hands on either side of her head to pull her close for a kiss. "Those hormones are really messing with your emotions, huh?"

She nodded and tried to laugh. "I need some Tums still."

"I'll go get them."

Rachel sat alone in the nursery trying to pull herself together. In all her life she had never cried such ugly happy tears and to be honest, she felt embarrassed by her reaction. It was only a room, but the thought and care behind the gesture was so lovely and surprising that she couldn't contain her excitement.

The light flicked on with Finn's return moments later with a box of tissues and her Tums, making her feel much better. Once her crying had ceased, Rachel hugged her fiancé as tight as she could and reveled in the affection he returned.

"Once everyone leaves, you are so getting lucky again tonight," she informed him quietly, nuzzling her nose against his chest. She felt his lips press to the top of her head and tingles spread all the way down to her toes.

A throat clearing from behind them called their attention and Rachel released him to turn and face the interruption. Carole stood in the doorway, eyes shifting around the room until they finally landed on her.

"Wow, the nursery looks fantastic! I thought you said you hadn't finished it?"

"Finn surprised me by working on it himself. I would be miffed about missing out on decorating too, but the room is just so amazing and I'm too tired to worry about not getting to paint."

Carole took a few steps more into the room and wrung her hands together, eyes slipping down to the floor. "It's truly beautiful and I am so proud of Finn for all his effort." She smiled at her son and he returned it. "I just came up here to apologize to you, Rachel. You cooked a delicious dinner and worked so hard to make this holiday party perfect. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. It was rude and unnecessary and I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted, Carole. I know how hormones and wine can affect our emotions and judgment. And that Finn can be a bonehead sometimes." She playfully knocked on his head and chuckled. "I just ask that you and Finn discuss whatever issues you have privately when we're not in the middle of a party."

"That seems fair."

Rachel hugged her soon-to-be mother-in-law and felt their relationship had reached a happier level. "I don't know about you two, but I'm still hungry. Why don't we head back down to dinner and get this celebration back on track?"

A gurgle came from behind Rachel and she and Carole both turned to face Finn. "I only got like two bites of ham before I left the table. I'm hungry too."

"You both head downstairs. I'll be right there. I just need to clean myself up and use the bathroom."

"I'm not letting you go down the stairs yourself. I'll wait," Finn offered.

"You mother more than your mother."

Finn stuck his tongue out at her in a childish manner and she shut the bathroom door in his face. She quickly did her business and as she washed her hands, she noticed that Finn's phone was on the tank of the toilet when it lit up with a new message.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Rachel opened the text and saw just who he had been texting all day.

_We both need things from the other. You can't keep denying me, Finn_, the message read. He had been texting with Teagan.

Her first reaction was to seethe and bitch at Finn about texting his ex during their first party as hosts until she read through the conversation. Teagan kept asking to meet with Finn, but he kept declining, telling her repeatedly to sign and send the papers. After the fiasco at her birthday party, he had been stubborn about keeping her out of his and Rachel's life.

Realizing she had an opportunity to end this, Rachel channeled Finn and typed a response. _If I give you what you want, you'll give me what I want?_ She waited about three seconds.

_I might be open to it._

_If you want anything from me, you'll meet me at a neutral location of my choosing._ She hoped Teagan would at least be amenable to that.

_If you pay, I'll make the trip anywhere you want to go._

Rachel scoffed at her audacity. What nerve that trollop had. But if she could end this once and for all, it would be worth it. She typed the location of the nearest Starbucks and planned for a time Finn would be at work to keep him from finding out about their meeting. The less he knew the better.

_Now stop texting me or else you can forget our deal._

_Fine by me. I have plans with Henry anyway. Ta ta._

The conversation over and the plans set in motion, Rachel deleted all the texts she had exchanged with Teagan, making it look like Finn had sent the last text and Teagan didn't bother to reply. Feeling sly, Rachel put the phone back where she found it and exited the bathroom to find Finn standing against the wall.

"Hey, is my phone in there?"

"I hadn't noticed," she lied smoothly. "I am going to tear that prime rib up when I get downstairs." She rubbed her swollen and grumbly belly, light taps coming from where Teddy was shifting.

Finn tromped back out of the bathroom, phone in hand, humor on his features. "For a vegetarian at heart, you certainly love to eat meat."

"I know," she cheered before turning sad, "It's horrible." Rachel pouted into Finn's side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

"It's okay, babe. Teddy the Carnivore will be out soon and you can go back to eating your disgusting rabbit food."

With the air cleared and apologies given and accepted, the party continued on without further upset and Rachel was quite pleased with herself. The gifts had all been received well, no one had thrown any punches during Celebrity and Pictionary despite all the alcohol swimming in everyone's systems, Rachel's pies had been inhaled quickly, and she was in such a jovial mood her sides ached from laughing so hard.

By the time everyone drunkenly grabbed cabs home, Rachel and Finn were exhausted and not ready to clean anything.

"Let's save it for tomorrow." Rachel gripped the front of Finn's sweater and tugged him flush against her bump, curving into him to reach his lips for a kiss. "Right now I just want to show some love to my perfect," kiss, "amazing," kiss, "thoughtful," kiss, "sexy," kiss, "fiancé."

Finn's hands fell to her hips and he nuzzled his nose against hers. "That sounds perfect."

When they finally managed to get upstairs to the bedroom, plans for any loving came to a screeching halt when Rachel almost instantly passed out upon lying down.

The next day came and went slowly, the hours spent cleaning and enjoying each other's company while they still could as a childless couple. As night fell, Rachel found it difficult to get comfortable enough to get any rest. Between her aching body, Teddy's boxing championship against her internal organs, and the gnawing guilt of keeping her meeting with Teagan secret, sleep evaded her at every turn.

When morning finally came, she drudged herself out of bed and got ready for the day, impatiently waiting for Finn to leave for work so she wouldn't have to walk on eggshells.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone today? I can always call in."

"Finn, you need to leave the house. You've been spending so much time here with me that you've been neglecting the restaurant and Puckerman can only handle so much before he starts to mouth off to customers. You need to go to work to protect the integrity of your business."

"I can try my mom again."

"Go! I haven't spent a moment alone in over a week. I could use some me time." She quickly pecked his cheek before shoving him toward the door. "I will see you when your shift ends and no earlier. Do not flake out on work unless you get the call that I'm in labor."

"Yes, dear."

She stood at the window and watched to be sure Finn was gone. There was about an hour until Rachel had to meet with Teagan and it was spent sweating and panicking.

"You can do this Rachel. You've handled bullies all your life. You made it through Carmen and Cassie, you can handle a blonde bimbo. You are a New Yorker. You put up with scum every day."

Confidence boosted, Rachel set out with determination to end Finn's marriage once and for all. By the end of the day, one way or another, she was going to have the signed divorce papers and Teagan was going to be nothing but a bad dream.

She arrived at the Starbucks early and didn't see the bane of her existence yet so decided to get a brownie and a strawberries and cream Frappuccino. Food in hand, Rachel turned to find a seat and nearly bowled right into the woman she was waiting for.

"Watch where you're going, Titanic! I'm not an iceberg, but I will take you down if you run into me." she spit at her. "Oh, it's _you_."

"That gem of an insult isn't in poor taste at all," Rachel commented dryly. "Using the deaths of hundreds of people to insult a pregnant woman…classy." She pulled on the straw and sucked down her Frappuccino.

"Where is Finn? I'm here to see him."

"No. You're here to see me. I set up this meeting under Finn's name because I knew you wouldn't show if you knew I wanted to talk. I think it's time us girls had a chat." Rachel motioned for Teagan to take a seat at the closest available table and pulled out a chair for herself. "Look here-"

"Before you say anything…" she pulled out a mailer and handed it to Rachel, "the papers are all there and all signed, for real this time."

Rachel's eyebrow popped up in surprised skepticism. She opened the packet and sure enough, all the papers were signed by both parties. "That was unexpectedly easy…too easy. What's the catch?" She had gone in expecting a fight, not for Teagan to roll over and die.

"There is no catch. I'm done. I give up."

Rachel goldfished trying to come up with a response.

"I know I've been a bitch about all this and put Finn, and you I guess, through so many hoops up until now. I swear I didn't use to be this person." Teagan's eyes began to water and she dabbed at them, making Rachel weary and uncertain. "I mean, I was always a bitch, but I never used to be so manipulative and two-faced. I just wanted to stay in the country so bad, and now I'm not even sure why. My life here has been awful ever since I quit school and I've been waiting for it to change but it hasn't. I hurt so many people since I've been here, caused so much pain."

"If you're trying to make me feel sorry for you-"

"I'm not. Just stating facts." The tears started to come heavier and Rachel had never felt more uncomfortable. "I'm being deported. That was why I married Finn in the first place. Once I quit school, they informed INS, so I married Finn and once they deemed the marriage legitimate, I broke him. But then he left. I never bothered getting citizenship since I had a green card but when I found out that it was a conditional green card and I needed Finn to get a permanent one, I panicked. I had met Henry shortly before then and he promised to take care of me, keep INS off my back for being illegal. That's why I stayed with him even though I couldn't stand the old man."

"I still don't get it. What does this have to do with your divorce?"

"The divorce is why I'm getting deported. They found out the status of my legality and said if I didn't renew my green card with Finn as my willing husband, I would have to leave. That was why I wanted him back. If he divorced me, I would be illegal and kicked out, even with Henry helping me." That's when she really broke down. "I may have hated the poor bastard but I never wanted to see him murdered."

Rachel's mouth fell open in shock. "Murdered?"

She nodded and her face contorted into a mess. "Henry always had a wandering eye and treated his mistresses better than his own wife. She finally got fed up with his philandering and shot him…on Christmas…when she caught him in my bed. My house is a crime scene. He died before he even made it to hospital and his wife didn't even try to hide her guilt. I'm only here as a witness until this thing is over. Then I need to turn myself in to immigration. I'm going back to Ireland and that is where I am staying until I die because I have had quite enough of this country. I never thought I would actually miss herding sheep."

"So, you're giving Finn the divorce because you feel guilty that you're part of the reason your lover was murdered?"

Teagan nodded then dropped her head into her arms on the table. "I am such a mess. I've ruined so many lives, including my own. I am so sorry I ever hurt Finn. He truly is the sweetest and kindest man and he deserves so much better than what I did to him. He loves you and you are just what he needs. I know you'll be a good wife to him and he will be an amazing husband to you. Please tell him I am sorry. I don't expect him to forgive me, but I want him to know that." She stood from the table. "I have to go now. I promise you I will never bother you again. I only came today to give Finn the papers so we could both finally move on from my mistake."

Rachel sat in stunned silence wondering what the hell just happened. She had the papers, Teagan was going back to Ireland, forever leaving them alone, and somehow Rachel was waiting for the other shoe to drop. This could not be real. It had to be too good to be true, a pleasant dream Rachel was having where all her wishes were coming fruition. Was Barbra going to show up handing her the role of a lifetime for which she would win a Tony?

She smacked her cheeks and pinched her arms a few times to determine if this was real life and found that both hurt. Rachel was most definitely awake. Still not believing, Rachel searched on her phone for the murdered man and found that Teagan had been telling the truth. Henry Lawrence was dead as a doornail, murdered by his wife in the bed of his lover.

It seemed for once the universe had her back, even if it didn't have Henry Lawrence's. Finn was free.

After a few hours of celebratory shopping, nearly skipping back to the apartment like Dorothy on her way to the Emerald City, Rachel felt light as a feather and giddier than the first time she heard applause. They could finally plan for their wedding, they had no exes to contend with, and the drama was gone. Life was officially wonderful, until she strolled through the front door of the house to find Finn frantically pacing the foyer with a phone to his ear and a hard scowl on his face.

"Where have you been?!" He rushed to her and pulled her into a hug, kissing her hard with need on her mouth. "I've been worried out of my mind. I came home hours ago to bring you dinner and you weren't here. I called everyone and no one knew where you were. Where were you? Why didn't you pick up your phone?!"

"There is no need to shout at me, Finn. I'm perfectly fine. I just had a meeting to go to and then I did a little shopping."

"You're not supposed to be going out, especially without someone to escort you."

Rachel rolled her eyes dramatically. "I have been cooped up in this house for over a week. I needed some fresh air. And I have a surprise for you. It's pretty big."

"I don't care about new lingerie, Rach. I care that you're safe and I know where you are." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, lowering his head to look in her eyes. "What if you had gone into labor? Or had been kidnapped? You should have answered your phone!"

"Not everything is about sex, Finn," she mocked. "No, this surprise…this surprise is life changing. And I didn't answer my phone because I didn't want you to know what I was up to and then I was in such a good mood I forgot to check it." She pulled the mailer out of her purse and handed it to him. "Divorce papers…signed, sealed, delivered. I'm yours."

Finn's eyes grew into saucers as it dawned on him. "She signed the papers? But, how…what…huh?"

"Don't get mad…but I texted Teagan pretending to be you on Christmas to set up a meeting with her. I thought I could persuade her to sign but I didn't even have to. She handed them over without a semblance of a fight. She's being deported back to Ireland."

"Why would she just hand them over after fighting me for so long?"

"Guilt. Her lover, Henry Lawrence, well, his wife got tired of his philandering so she killed him while he was in bed with Teagan. I think it scarred her so bad she's practically ready to swim back to Ireland to get out of this country. She knows you probably won't forgive her, but she said she's so sorry for what she did to you. She seemed quite genuine for once."

Finn was stunned silent at Rachel's news. He trudged over to the couch and plopped down, opening the mailer and sifting through the papers. "They're all signed."

"Once you give them to your lawyer, you're officially a divorced man." She sat next to Finn and wrapped her arm around his.

He turned to her and for an instant seemed pissed. "I cannot believe you went to see Teagan behind my back. I told you I didn't want you fighting my battle with her." But he grew gentler, "But it means a lot that you care enough to help me with my problems."

"I'm your fiancée. When you love someone, you do anything for them to make their life better. I saw a chance to solve a problem and I took it. You did the same for me with Jesse."

"I love you, Rachel."

"I love you more. I know you can fight your own battles, but sometimes it's nice to have support in your corner."

Finn kissed her with all the love he could muster and when they broke, Rachel pressed her forehead to his and played with his fingers. "I think we should celebrate this fortuitous event."

He ripped his shirt off and started undoing his pants. "Way ahead of you."

She started to laugh and pushed up from the couch. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind. I was thinking…a night on the town to toast to your freedom."

"Yeah, that could work, but we should go with my idea first."

Finn stalked forward on the prowl, losing his pants and his boxers as he chased Rachel, shedding her own clothes, up to their bedroom.

Freedom from the drama was definitely worth as much celebration as they could get.


	27. The Beginning

A longer chapter for you. This one has a little of everyone and a lot of fluff and a dash of angst. Enjoy!

* * *

"To Finn! For finally getting the Irish bitch off his back!" Puck shouted, lifting his beer, prompting the rest of their group to join in the toast.

"To Finn!"

"It feels good to be divorced. Now I can plan to get married."

Rachel entwined her fingers with Finn's and stared up at him moon eyed. "Well, enjoy the feeling while it lasts because as far as I'm concerned you aren't going to be divorced ever again."

The corner of his mouth pulled up in a half grin and he puckered up for a kiss. "The happiness of being married to you trumps getting divorced from Teagan any day. I can't wait to call you Mrs. Hudson." Rachel slipped her fingers into Finn's hair at the back of his head and pulled him lower for a kiss.

"Could you not do that in front of us? I'd like to keep my meal down," Santana inquired in disgust at their canoodling.

Rachel chuckled and rested her head on Finn's shoulder, running her thumb over the back of his hand while he squeezed her thigh. "I can't help it. He's just so kissable." She turned her head again and touched her lips to initiate another kiss. Finn happily obliged and everyone groaned.

"You're all just jealous."

"Right, because we all don't have our own significant others," Kurt replied, rolling his eyes and taking a swig of his martini. "Or have you not noticed that all of us are matched up?" After celebrating Finn's imminent divorce privately, and repeatedly, Rachel called all their friends up to celebrate the momentous occasion with them. Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Brittany, Tina, Mike, Puck, and Quinn were all too happy to go out for drinks on Finn and Rachel to toast to Finn's freedom.

At the moment however, Finn wasn't paying attention to his brother as he and Rachel were lost in each other's eyes, whispering sweet nothings and sharing intimate kisses.

"Earth to Finchel! If you two do not stop eye-fucking we are leaving."

That managed to catch Rachel's attention. "You can't leave! We're celebrating."

"The kind of celebrating you two seem to want to do, we do not need to be here for."

"We did that earlier," Finn winked to Kurt.

"Ew."

"I still cannot believe you got hitched and none of us knew. Why wouldn't you come to me after Lucky Charms refused to sign the divorce papers? I'd have gotten that shit done in a third of the time."

"You aren't a divorce attorney, Santana."

"No, but I'm an attorney and a bitch who always gets what she wants. I'm actually offended, Frankenteen."

Finn shrugged and slung his arm over Rachel's shoulders. "It doesn't matter now. Teagan is gone and I'm divorced once my lawyer finalizes everything."

"I wish I had been able to tell her off. I had prepared an entire angry rant to throw at her about messing with Finn and leaving us alone, but I didn't get to use any of it."

"I doubt she would have taken it seriously. You look like a toddler who couldn't even claw at her due to Mr. Potato Head's spud growing in your gut. If it were me, I wouldn't have."

"I'm glad you didn't argue with her. You don't need that kind of stress. And I'm still annoyed at you for talking to her in the first place."

Rachel bit her lip and ran her finger down Finn's chest to toy with the waist of his jeans. "I thought you forgave me for that?" She stuck her lower lip out in an adorable pout she knew lowered Finn's defenses.

"It's gonna take a bit more for me to forgive you completely, especially since you won't be able to apologize for six weeks after Teddy is born."

Everyone at the table groaned and Santana pretended to gag, sticking her finger in her mouth. "Just because the proof that you've bumped uglies is the size of a planet under Rachel's muumuu doesn't mean we need to hear about it. No one wants to think about your pasty ass humping an engorged Munchkin."

"Thanks for that visual, Santana. My brain didn't have enough gross images about my brother to bury deep."

Rachel scrunched her face in disapproval. "One, what happens between Finn and I in the bedroom is not proper dinner discussion, two, this is not a muumuu – it's a peasant dress, three, when Finn and I make love it is beautiful and not gross, and four, I do not appreciate being called an 'engorged midget'. I am a vessel of the miracle of life, and though I may be slightly below average in height, I do not have dwarfism of any kind."

"Relax, chica. I say it with the utmost respect. I call everyone I like names. Kurt is Prancy Smurf, Quinn is Preggo, and your freakishly dopey boyfriend is Frankenteen…among other names."

"When she's trying to actually be a bitch, the names start to get meaner and dig at your insecurities. Like, Doublestuf McGravypants, Man-Boobs, Manatee, Bloated Blubber, Shamu…" Finn glared at his ex-girlfriend. "I think she was trying to give me an eating disorder."

"Oh, but the best was Chubby-Wan Kenobi. Sadly I can't take credit for that one. It goes to Sue."

"That sounds horrible! Finny…" Rachel wrapped her arms around Finn to console him and heal his emotional wounds. "Don't listen to Santana, you're in great shape."

Finn seemed self-conscious but enjoyed Rachel's praise. "I try. And you do a great job of helping me work out." He squeezed her knee and a wanton pang shot through her.

The needy sensation was eclipsed however by a stronger pain that emanated from in her gut. She jolted in her seat and pain marred her face while she rubbed her belly and her back to soothe it away.

"Babe, are you okay? Are you going into labor? I'll call an ambulance!" He dug for his phone but Rachel put her hand out to stop him.

"I'm fine. It was just a kidney shot. I think Teddy is a fan of Queen." Bohemian Rhapsody was playing throughout the bar and Teddy seemed to be tapping the beat of the song against her organs. "I'm going to use the bathroom." She stood and to her surprise Quinn stood as well.

"I'll go with you. This water went right through me today."

The women walked in silence toward the bathroom. Though Quinn was Noah's wife, Rachel had never really been close with her despite seeing her at nearly every familial event since being with Finn. She never really knew what to say to her as they didn't have much in common besides Finn, Noah, and pregnancy.

They entered the bathroom and while doing her business, Rachel suddenly heard the sound of retching coming from the stall Quinn had gone into. "Quinn?" she called tentatively. "Quinn? Are you okay?" Rachel felt stupid for asking as she obviously wasn't okay if she was vomiting. She could hear the sound of more vomit hitting the water and the noise was beginning to make her nauseas as well.

The toilet flushed without an answer and Quinn's heals clicked out to the sink. Finishing her business, Rachel stepped out to the sinks and found Quinn crying quietly. "Quinn, what's wrong? Are you sick?" She was concerned for the woman but she didn't want to get too close. The last thing she needed was to get sick.

"No, I'm not sick." Her mood quickly shifted to anger as she began to sift through her purse for something. "I'm mad. No, I'm livid. The only reason I'm here right now is to support Finn."

"I know we aren't very close, but if you need to talk, I'm here."

Quinn sighed and threw her head back, more tears threatening to escape. "Do you ever want to throttle Finn for not doing something he was supposed to do?"

"I wanted to throttle him when he tried to ditch me after I told him I was pregnant."

"Good, so it's not just my idiot husband. I cannot believe this is happening again! I'm smarter than to let this happen again." She pressed a hand to her stomach and took a deep breath like she was trying not to barf.

Rachel's face contorted in recognition as she connected the dots. "Oh my God! Quinn," she lowered her voice and stepped closer, "are you pregnant?"

"Puck and I agreed six months ago that two kids were enough, so I told him to get a vasectomy so I could go off the pill since I always have difficulty remembering to take it. He promised he got snipped so I went off it. Apparently, he lied because I'm about five weeks pregnant now and I haven't slept with anyone else. So either my husband is a lying bastard or I'm carrying the next Jesus."

"You haven't talked to Noah yet?"

"I just found out today at my doctor's appointment so I haven't had time. I've been fighting the urge to throw a drink in his face and cause a scene ever since we got here. I cannot believe he lied to me about getting the vasectomy done! There couldn't be a worse time for us to have another baby. I just got promoted to oversee the new collection and Puck is working on the renovations to the restaurant."

"Are you keeping it?"

"Of course. I'm not aborting my baby. If I didn't do it at 16, I won't do it when I'm married with two other kids."

Rachel nodded in agreement and ran her hands over her belly. "Well, perhaps you should sit down in private and plan out what to say. The more prepared you are the easier it will be to tell him."

"Oh really? Like that thought hadn't occurred to me," she bit harshly.

Rachel's face hardened. "There's no need to be rude. I'm just trying to help."

"I'm sorry. I've just been on edge and pregnancy always makes me cranky."

The bathroom door opened and Brittany waltzed in. "Ooh, bathroom party! Why wasn't I invited?"

"We were just about to leave," Rachel explained.

"So, Quinn, did you tell Puck you're pregnant again? I was going to mention it, but then Santana reminded me about the last time I smelled pregnancy and said to wait until you said something."

"For once, Santana is right. Please don't tell anyone."

Rachel shook her head and noted the time on the clock. "We should get back out to our guys, and girl. I'm sure they're waiting for us."

All the women exited the bathroom and as they arrived to the table, Rachel was pleasantly surprised to see Marley and Jake had arrived.

"Marley! Jake! I'm so glad you could make it!"

"I'm sorry we're late. Jake was working and had to stay a little late."

"Oh, it's okay. We'll still be here for a while. It is a celebration after all."

"What are we celebrating exactly?" Jake asked, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the back of his chair.

Rachel slid back into her seat beside Finn. "Finn's divorce." Jake looked perplexed. "Finn, in his dumb youth, married an evil Irish witch, but when they broke up he never bothered getting divorced until _after_ he asked me to marry him. I was pretty angry but we've moved past it and are preparing to plan our wedding. We're just preparing for parenthood first." She beamed up at Finn who devilishly grinned back at her, rubbing her arm and hugging her into his side.

"You look really familiar," Puck interceded, staring critically at Jake. "Have you ever been to Hudson's?"

"I don't think so."

"What's your name?"

Rachel cried out, "Oh, how rude of me! Let me introduce you to everyone. Marley, Jake, you know Blaine obviously. Next to him is his boyfriend Kurt, Santana and her wife Brittany, Tina and her boyfriend Mike, my fiancé Finn, and his best friend Noah and his wife Quinn."

"Berry, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Puck?! Only Quinn can call me Noah."

"Noah is your given name and it's a very lovely name."

"Wait," Jake interrupted, "Noah, and your nickname is Puck? Is your last name Puckerman?"

Noah eyed him. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

"My last name is Puckerman."

"Is your dad white and Jewish?"

"Yeah, Jeffrey Puckerman.

"Son of a bitch. Are you fucking with me? Berry, am I being Punk'ed?"

"I told you about Jake, didn't I?"

"No!" He turned back to Jake. "My deadbeat dad is Jeffrey. You and me need to talk." He ripped Jake up from his seat and dragged him outside where it would be a little quieter.

Quinn scowled in their direction. "Great! Now we have that to contend with as well."

Rachel watched Marley and noticed she shied into herself at Quinn's outburst. Feeling compelled to ingrain her into their group, Rachel asked her about school. "Marley, how has school been? Enjoying your break?"

She smiled uneasily and nodded. "I've been working a lot to pay for rent but I'm still keeping my grades up and enjoying the days I do get off."

"That's good." Rachel addressed the group. "Marley goes to NYU. She's studying music theory and wants to be a singer/songwriter someday. She has a beautiful voice."

Tina nodded her head in recognition. "I thought you looked familiar. You were in the fall showcase. That's quite an accomplishment for a first semester freshman."

"Thanks. I worked really hard to get there."

"This kid is definitely my brother. My dad has some serious explaining to do," Puck griped when he returned.

"If you can find him," Jake added. "I tried getting a hold of him when I got married but no one knew where he was."

Puck shook his head, his expression showing lack of surprise. "Don't take it personally. The old bastard wasn't at my nuptials either."

"None of our parents were at our wedding out of protest which is why we couldn't afford more than a quickie ceremony in New Haven," Quinn stated, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"You had the choice between a big ring and a big wedding, and you picked the ring. Not my fault."

"I liked your wedding. It only lasted ten minutes and I got to third base…in the softball game I played the next day." Finn tried to act innocent once he realized Rachel was glaring at him, daring him to finish that sentence about getting a blowjob from Quinn's best friend at Yale.

"See? If we had had a big wedding our parents would have been there and my mother would have insisted on a Jewish ceremony and nagged the shit out of me and your mom would have wanted it in a church and criticized me for every fucking thing like she always does. And Finn might not have gotten to know Kelly as well as he did in the back of the limo."

Finn coughed loudly and tried to ignore his fiancée's eyes boring into him.

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Act like my mother is the Devil. She cares about me and just wants to see me happy."

"I'm sorry. I thought I did make you happy."

"Not lately."

Puck rolled his eyes and downed his beer. "And what have I done to piss you off now?"

Quinn narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. "You know, you never did tell me how your vasectomy went. And your short recovery time was miraculous."

Puck got shifty eyed as he pinked and chuckled with nerves. "It was just an average surgery. And I heal quickly."

"You tried to have sex with me two hours after your procedure which should have alerted me to the fact you're a lying sack of crap! You never got snipped!"

Her husband acted flabbergasted by her accusation and played up his offence. "How dare you accuse me of not getting it done? I'll have you know-"

"I'm pregnant again." Everyone but Rachel gasped at Quinn's news.

Puck went silent before pleading for forgiveness, "Babe, I'm sorry. I was gonna get it, honest. I went to my appointment and everything but I panicked! They were gonna take my manhood from me!"

"Having a vasectomy doesn't make you any less of a man, Noah! It's not like they chop your balls off!"

"Quinn already did that," Finn muttered into Rachel's ear, making her giggle.

"I cannot believe you thought you could get away with this!"

"I didn't think you would really go off the pill."

"You are an idiot! I married an idiot! I should never have married you, but no, I just had to forgive your moronic ass over and over because of _love_. Love is for suckers and I'm sick of you." She grabbed her things and stormed away.

"Baby! Quinn!" Puck followed her like a bad little puppy trying to please its master. "Quinn, I'm sorry." The couple stopped in front of the window and the group watched them fight as if it were a soap opera.

"So that guy is my brother?"

Finn raised his beer to Jake. "Welcome to the family."

Changing the subject, Rachel posed a question for the group. "So, what is the plan for New Year's? It's only days away and I haven't been invited to a single party."

"Are you sure you want to go to any? Isn't your due date the 31st?" Blaine inquired.

"Yes, but there's no guarantee I'll go into labor. Most women miss their due date. I'm sick of sitting around the house. This is the first day I've gone out since I got back from the hospital."

"Well, we're having a party. You could come to that," Brittany announced, making Santana groan.

"Britt, how many times have I told you not to mention the party?"

"Oops, sorry."

Finn crinkled his eyebrows, and replied sarcastically, "And why is it a problem to invite us to your party? We're only your friends."

"It's a big deal because partners and associates from my firm are going to be there. I'm trying to make partner myself and I don't need to be distracted by your frat boy antics. This is a sophisticated soiree."

"Are you saying I'm not sophisticated?" Finn burped and blew it in Kurt's face, causing him to swat at the air and insult him.

"Obviously not. Why do you think Santana didn't tell you?"

"She didn't tell you either."

"Actually, she did. I helped her plan it." Kurt stuck his tongue out at him and shrieked when Finn threw peanuts at him.

"What the hell?! You can tell Kurt about your fancy pants party but not me?"

"Kurt won't get rip-roaring drunk and make out with the assistant D.A. and never call her again. I'm certain that's why she refused a deal in my last case against her. Thank God I'm not a public defender anymore."

"That was like, a year ago. I'm engaged with a kid on the way. The only person I plan on making out with is Rachel and since my child is due to come on that day, I don't plan on drinking."

Santana seemed to think about it and continuously rolled her eyes and sighed as Brittany whispered into her ear. Finally she caved. "Fine. You can come. But only if you act professional and promise not to give birth in my home. I refuse to clean up placenta."

"I'm sure I'll be able to get to a hospital before that point."

"You better. My furniture costs too much for it to be smeared with genetic material."

"So it's settled. We'll go to Santana's for New Year's. Is there a dress code?"

"Wear clothes. Casual but classy is fine. And for the love of God, no cheesy hats or glasses. This is a serious function for me. If I impress Sue my name could be added to Sylvester, Schuester & Figgins. We could afford to move to Manhattan and take that vacation to Italy Brittany wanted to take."

"You're going to Italy?"

"We want to. Brittany wants to visit Pompeii to ghost hunt."

Brittany added, "And battle a gladiator. I'm pretty sure I could win."

Rachel drifted into a daydream about visiting Italy with Finn. They still had a honeymoon to take and Italy certainly seemed romantic. She could see them drinking cappuccinos by the Trevi Fountain and visiting the Coliseum in Rome, or traversing the canals of Venice or the rolling hills of Tuscany. The only problem would be Teddy and having to leave her baby behind. Certainly he would miss her and what if he forgot her? The thought brought tears to her eyes and when Finn noticed, he kissed her temple.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I can't leave our baby behind!"

"What?" he replied, a bit baffled.

"If we take a honeymoon, we'll have to leave Teddy behind and he'll forget us, or resent us for disappearing."

Finn started to laugh and she whacked his arm. "Sorry, not funny. But kinda funny. You're crying about something that hasn't happened yet and probably won't for a while. Teddy isn't even born yet and we still have wedding planning to get through. I'm sure Teddy won't resent us for being away a few days while he's a baby.

"I'm just going to miss him." She held her bump protectively and tried to control her emotions. A yawn escaped and Finn chuckled.

"Tired?"

She shrugged. "A little. Today has been chock full of excitement."

Rachel noticed for the first time that everyone had descended into their own conversations and Santana, Brittany, and the remaining Puckermans had gone over to the pool table.

"We should play pool! I've never played before."

"You're kidding." Finn seemed genuinely astounded. She shook her head. "Never? Not in college or…"

"Never. I wasn't one for bars and no one I hung out with played it either."

Finn stood and put his hand out for hers. "I think it's time we fix this."

Rachel waddled behind Finn to the table and while they waited to play winner, he explained the rules. Shortly into the Lopez-Pierce/Puckerman game, Puck returned from outside alone and broken.

"Dude, you okay?"

"She wants a divorce."

"Again?" Finn couldn't say it was totally unexpected.

Rachel however, was shocked. "You can't get divorced! You've got another baby on the way and you love each other."

"She said lying about my vasectomy was the last straw. She kicked me out and said I have until the end of the week to get my stuff or she'll donate it."

"Tough break, man."

"Finn, we have to change her mind. Quinn loves Noah and he's clearly miserable without her," she motioned to the man resting his head against the wall, trying not to break a bottle over his own head.

"To be honest, I don't know how we could fix it. It's not like Puck can say it'll never happen again because chances are, it will. He doesn't have a good track record with this kind of thing."

"Finn Hudson! What is that attitude? Where's the man who fought for me when I insisted I didn't want you? Noah is your best friend and he needs your help. He may be an idiot, but he's our idiot and he loves Quinn. He's her husband and the father of her kids. Doesn't he deserve to be in their lives?"

"Rachel, I don't know if we should get involved. Puck can usually manage to get himself out of Quinn trouble."

"I don't see that happening this time. She is really pissed at him."

"That's not unusual. Rachel, I know you want to help, but we have our own lives to worry about. You're due any day now and we are going to have our hands full with parenting. I'm sure once Quinn calms down she'll forgive Puck. She always does."

"But what if she doesn't? What will Noah do then?"

"If she doesn't get over it like she usually does, then I'll let you meddle like you want. Until then, we need to let Puck get out of his mess himself."

"Finn," Puck came back over, rubbing his Mohawk self-consciously, "think I can crash at your place tonight? If I show my face around my place, Quinn will really castrate me."

Rachel gave him a pleading look and Finn sighed heavily. "Yeah, you can stay with us, but only for tonight. You need to get your life back together."

"Like I don't know that," Puck moped as he walked away.

One night turned into four days, however, and by New Year's, Finn and Rachel were sick of his constant presence in their home.

"We have got to get him out of here," Rachel declared after walking back from the second floor bathroom. "This is the fourth time he has left his crusty underwear on my bathroom floor and his towel in the hallway. What happened to only one night?"

"You were the one who wanted to help him."

"Help him get his wife back, not move into our house! I've tried getting him out to see Quinn, but he just keeps playing X-Box. He's treating this like a vacation. Doesn't he realize the seriousness of the situation?"

"He's probably in denial."

"Well, I'm getting him out of it!"

"Good luck with that," Finn called after her as she tromped down to Finn's den where Puck had taken up residence.

With purpose, Rachel pushed open the door to give Puck a piece of her mind but balked when she found him in the buff on the couch, using Finn's laptop to watch porn and pleasure himself.

"Puck!"

"Berry!"

"Get the hell out of my house!" she screeched, her voice so shrill Teddy jerked inside her and began moving wildly. "No wonder your wife kicked you out! You're rude and-"

He covered himself with a pillow and screamed back at her, "Think you could yell at me when I'm not naked and at full-mast?"

She threw her hands in the air and growled, slamming the door behind her as she left, and found her phone. Ten minutes later, Puck sauntered downstairs to find Finn and Rachel in the living room with stern looks on their faces.

"What?"

"Don't 'what?' us! Noah, have you even tried to talk to Quinn at all?"

"What's the point? She clearly doesn't want or need me anymore."

"That is not true! Quinn loves you and when you aren't being an ass, I know you're great together. You just need to show her that you're serious and sorry and will never do something so stupid and irresponsible again."

"I can't make that promise."

"Yes you can because you need to get the hell out of my house. There isn't room for two kids in this house right now."

"But what if I break that promise and she leaves me again?"

"I can think of a good way to show her that you're sorry and ready to commit to acting like an adult. You'll have to do the rest, but it will be a start."

"And what is that?"

Hours later, Finn, Rachel and Puck arrived at Puck's home, an ice pack between his legs as he slowly moved down the hall.

"I cannot believe you scheduled me an appointment for a vasectomy. Why were they even open on New Year's Eve?! Ow," he shifted the ice on his groin. He unlocked the door and was rushed by his squealing children.

"Daddy!" they both screamed, hugging his waist. He squeaked like a little girl and shoved the children away with force.

"Yeah, yeah, daddy loves you, now stay away from his junk." He held the ice tighter to his groin and tried not to cry.

"Dad, are you okay?" Beth asked with concern. "You never cry."

He shuffled over to the couch and slowly sat down, careful not to squish his goods. Unfortunately, Ben had other ideas.

"Daddy! I miss you!" Ben jumped into Puck's lap and kneed him directly in his family jewels.

Puck screamed and threw Ben, flying through the air, into the adjacent seat before keeling over and rubbing his genitals.

"Beth, what are you screaming about?" Quinn called, walking into the living room to see the ruckus.

"I'm not screaming. Dad is. Ben kneed him in the 'nads."

"Puck, what are you doing here?" Quinn crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him angrily. "And why are you crying?"

Puck sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes before grabbing his ice pack and replacing it. "Because I love you and I don't want to lose you. I know it's a little late now, but I got fixed…for you…and Hudson and Berry can prove it."

Quinn's eyes narrowed, her expression showing her thought that her husband was a dope. "That isn't the issue. The issue is that you lied to me again and can't be trusted."

"Maybe I didn't want to get snipped, but that doesn't mean I can't be trusted. I'm a good husband and a good father. I take care of this family and love you all and I know I'm an idiot, but I'm an idiot who is crazy about you and has been since we were sixteen. I know I've messed up more times than I can count, but…you are it baby. You're the only woman I want to be with and try harder for."

"You've been saying that for years and have never proven it. Noah, I love you, but I need a man, not an overgrown child."

"I am a man. I got a vasectomy for you and cared for our family for the past ten years."

Rachel interjected, pleading with Quinn. "Quinn, I understand your frustration with Noah – I had trouble for four days, I can't imagine ten years – but I digress. Noah has made mistakes – so many mistakes – but he's sorry and wants to come home and be a better husband and father. Deep down you can't really want to bring a new life into the world alone. He may be an idiot, but he loves you and your kids, and he deserves another chance."

"Do you know how many chances I've given him? Ten years worth!"

"But maybe the 20th time will be the charm?" Finn quipped. Neither found it amusing.

"I just don't know if I can do this with you again. The kids need stability and I need someone who will be reliable."

"I may be immature, but when it comes to the kids and reliability, I'm always there."

"Says the man who lost Ben in Atlantic City…"

"At least I didn't ditch our daughter for four years to party it up at Yale. I know all about the binging drinking and _experimenting_ you did. Who was here taking care of our daughter while you got to be a kid? Me. So sorry if I act like a kid sometimes now. It's not like I was deprived of young adulthood so you could have one or anything. Do not talk to me about reliability and stability because that was all I was the entire time you were in New Haven."

"If that's the case, then why can't you be that way now when I need you to be? I love when you're goofy and moronic when it's appropriate. You mellow me out and help turn down my bitch side. But then you go and do something like proposing while on the toilet, or letting Beth call Santana mommy, or lose our children for three hours, or not get a vasectomy after we both agreed it would be best. Those are the parts of you that make me want to forget I ever married you."

"Quinn, all I can do is say I'm sorry. And I have to admit, another one of these," he pulled both of his kids onto the couch and squeezed their faces against his, "can't be the worst thing in the world. We make some pretty badass and attractive kids."

"Wait," Beth started putting it all together, "is Mom having another baby?"

Quinn covered her face with both hands and plopped on the couch beside her daughter. "Yes, we're having another baby, because your dad didn't listen to me again."

"Then why are you pretending to break up again? Babies need their moms and dads and Daddy is the best dad ever. I don't want Dad to leave again. He's our family and we can't get rid of him. If we're gonna get rid of anyone it should be Ben because he's gross." Sure enough, Ben was happily picking his nose. "Ewww!"

"You should listen to the kid – about the keeping me, not getting rid of the boy."

Quinn sat quietly and contemplated her options. Puck appeared hopeful and Finn and Rachel stood silently, eyes moving back and forth between the couple.

"Things have to change," she started after the silence became nearly unbearable. "I do love you, always have, but love isn't enough anymore. We've built a great life together and if we're going to keep it, you have to start acting your age. I can't raise three kids by myself."

"I don't want you to. I want to be there for you and all three of them. Ten years ago monogamy, a mortgage, and three kids might have sounded like the end of the universe, but now that's what I want with you, forever."

Quinn was skeptical. "Have you been replaced by an alien? You look and sound like my husband, but I'm pretty sure the man-boy I married would never say that."

"Would you just let me back into the house already? Hudson's couch is not comfortable and I'm tired of jerkin' it to the porn on Finn's laptop."

"Puck!" Quinn slapped her hands over Beth's ears.

"Mom, I'm _ten_ years old. You don't have to cover my ears."

"Yeah, ten year olds know a lot. I already had an extensive porn collection by then."

"Puck!"

"Is porn the same thing you and Mom do when you lock your bedroom door?"

Quinn gasped and pointed toward the hall. "Beth, go to your room!" She muttered as she got off the couch and started down the hall. "And take Ben with you!" He toddled giddily after her and Quinn gave her husband a penetrating glower.

"She was going to figure it out sometime."

"Keep it up and you'll be back on Finn's couch."

"Well, I guess we should go. We have a New Year's party to attend. Glad you two lovebirds worked it out. Congrats on the new baby. See you later!" Rachel shoved Finn toward the door as fast as she could before Quinn changed her mind about taking him back. Once safely out of the apartment, Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. "They are the most messed up couple ever. I have no idea how she puts up with him. I wouldn't be able to."

"Love can help you do a lot of things you didn't think you could do before. Puck and Quinn are just that high school couple who never left high school and Quinn's finally realizing it."

"How insightful of you…"

"How else do you explain their behavior? They break up and make up like freshmen over stupid things that shouldn't be an issue."

"I'm so happy we're past that point in our relationship. I'm over fighting and breaking up with you for moments of stupidity."

"Glad to hear it. We'll save the fights for important issues like whose turn it is to change a poopy diaper or the next unexpected pregnancy."

Rachel stopped in her tracks, folding her arms over her chest, and raising her eyebrows at him. "There will not be a 'next unexpected pregnancy', Finn Hudson. As soon as I am able I'm going on birth control and until then you'll be using condoms. The next time I get pregnant will be when we're both ready and mutually decide to have more children."

"Okay, then we can fight about that."

Rachel continued walking but didn't remove her arms from her chest. "What would there be to fight about if we're both in agreement?"

Finn shrugged and looked down at his shoes as he meandered along next to her. "Timing."

"Timing?"

"Before Teddy, I didn't really want kids – I mean, I did _want_ them – just not anytime soon. But now that it's happening, I want more."

"We haven't even had our first yet, Finn."

"I know. I'm not expecting to turn around and boom, you're pregnant, but I'd like to have another in the near future. You said you wanted a sibling growing up. It's lonely being an only child."

"Of course I know that. I begged my dads for a sibling. And someday I would love to have another child, but I'm only twenty-three. It's not like I don't have time. I still have goals to accomplish and dreams to bring to fruition."

"I get that. But I'm gonna be 27 soon. I don't want to be an old man the next time we have a baby."

Rachel took Finn's hand back in hers and rested her head on his shoulder and her other hand on his bicep. "You are not an old man. You're 26 and virile like an 18 year old."

"Virile how?"

"Horny."

"Oh," he grinned proudly and nodded his head, "yeah, I am. But still," he sighed in melancholy, "I want to be young enough to enjoy being a dad."

"Plenty of men older than you have had kids later in life and thoroughly enjoy being fathers. Like Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Hefner…just to name a few of the many. But if it worries you so much, I'll make you a deal. After I win my first Tony, I'll take a break and-"

"But, and don't take this the wrong way – because I believe in you totally – but, what if you don't win one soon?"

Disgruntled at the interruption, Rachel continued, "If you hadn't interrupted me, I'd have said, if I don't win a Tony soon, I will take a year off after you turn 30 to have another baby, because I don't want to wait too long to give Teddy a sibling either. Does that sound fair? Tony or thirty, whichever comes first?"

Finn smiled broadly and kissed the top of her head. "That sounds like a pretty good compromise."

"Good. So no more talk of unexpected pregnancy. One is enough for me."

They walked along in silence to the subway to get over to Brooklyn. Rachel enjoyed the cool night air and merriment of everyone they passed on the way. It was December 31st, the end of the craziest year of her life and in a few short hours, a new year and new possibilities would be starting.

Though she wanted more than anything for her baby boy to finally join the world, she was glad he had decided not to come yet. It would be disappointing to spend her first New Year with Finn stuck in a hospital, pain radiating throughout her as she tried to push her watermelon sized son out of her tiny body.

"I'm kinda glad Teddy hasn't come yet. Now we can enjoy a ritzy party with friends instead of the inside of a hospital room with nurses who would rather be out celebrating."

"Yeah, but if he did come today, I wouldn't be upset about missing Santana's party. Ted is way more important than Santana."

"Let's just hope I don't go into labor while at Santana's. I don't think she would appreciate if my water broke all over her designer sofa."

After navigating the subway and streets of Bushwick, the couple arrived at Santana and Brittany's swanky Brooklyn loft. The place had no walls but curtains hung to break the place into rooms and despite the homey thrift store feel, the place was anything but. Kurt and Santana spent weeks searching for pieces for their new home when they moved in two years ago. Brittany tried getting a moose head past them to hang in the bedroom but Santana tossed it in the dumpster immediately after it entered the loft. With that, Brittany's decorating skills had been reserved for holidays which explained the different colored Christmas tree every year, every color but green. This holiday however, the place was finely decorated in silver and gold, no cheesy banners or streamers in sight, to ring in the New Year.

"Is that a chocolate fountain?" Rachel queried upon entering, licking her lips delectably. She scurried over to the snack table and began picking a little of everything while Finn chuckled and found Santana.

"Frankenteen, I see you decided to show up. Just try not to make out with anyone I work with."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"And be on the lookout. Laina is here and still on the prowl." She winked before walking off to greet more guests.

_Whose Laina?_ Finn thought until a tap on the shoulder called his attention. He turned around and regretted it instantly as a hand connected with his face. _That answers that question._ "Ow."

"Don't think that you didn't deserve that. You can't just make out with someone, tell them you'll call, then never call!" She huffed and shook her head at him.

"I'm sorry. To be quite honest, I hardly remember last New Year's. It wasn't anything you did. I'm just a forgetful drunk."

Laina seemed placated by this and warmed considerably. Turning flirtatious she continued, "Well, that's okay, I guess. You aren't drunk now, right?"

"Well, no-"

She brushed her hand along his arm, discreetly squeezing his bicep. "Then what do you say we remedy that?"

Off in the distance on the other side of the room, Rachel had just finished a few chocolate covered pieces of pineapple when she spotted a slutty blonde fondling her man. Catching Finn's eye and silent S.O.S., rage filled her and the plate in her hand slipped to the floor, the remaining fruit getting mashed into the wood as she stomped her way over to her man. She had just gotten rid of one bitchy blonde, she wasn't about to let another mess with her happiness.

She approached the woman from behind and rammed into her with her shoulder as she breezed past to Finn. "Oh, I'm sorry. How clumsy of me?" Rachel feigned. She took Finn's hand in hers and molded herself into his side. "Finn, why don't you introduce me to your friend?" Rachel knew she was acting like a jealous girlfriend, and she trusted Finn implicitly, but it was never fun to watch another woman put the moves on _her_ man. Finn was her fiancé, the father of her child, and they had gone through so much already, she couldn't lose him.

"Um, this…this is Laina?" his voice hitched, uncertain. The woman eyed Rachel with distaste. "Laina, this is my fiancée, Rachel."

"Fiancée?! Since when do you have a fiancée…and one that is so fat?"

"I am not fat. I am pregnant. And even if I was fat, Finn loves me for me, not my body…or fake boobs."

"My boobs are not fake! I am _all_ natural…and your fiancé can attest to that." She winked at Finn while Rachel glowered at him.

"Babe, it was a year ago before I even met you. And all we did was make out."

Laina rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I don't want a man who's got a kid with a chubby Ewok anyway." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked away and Finn had to physically restrain Rachel from going after her.

"Let me go. I'm cool. It's cool." She brushed the material of her shirt down when Finn released her, but tried to go after her again. "Let go of me, Finn! Just one drink in her face and I'll let it go."

Finn wrestled with her all the way to the bathroom and trapped her behind the door. "You are not fighting with Laina."

"I wasn't going to fight her. I was going to drench her in punch and ruin her dress. I'm sure it's dry clean only." She had menace in her eyes as she licked her lips and maniacally rubbed her hands together. Finn was certain if Rachel had a mustache she would be stroking it like a cartoon villain. "Now let me go."

He wrapped his arms around her and sat down on the toilet, placing Rachel in his lap. "Babe, you're pregnant. I'm not about to let you get in a chick fight with some woman I don't even remember. You're supposed to be avoiding stress and slapping another chick around could hurt you and Teddy."

"But see, since I'm pregnant she can't retaliate. It's foolproof."

"Rachel, just let it go. Laina is not important. You're the most beautiful and amazing woman ever and I love you and only you. Nothing will change that."

A smile graced Rachel's red lips and she draped her arms around his shoulders. "I love you."

"I love you more."

Rachel kissed him softly then sighed. "It's probably for the best. I'm sure Santana would not be happy with either of us if I beat up the assistant D.A. in her home."

"Definitely not. What do you say we head back out to the party and rub how sickeningly adorable we are in Laina's face? And I know Santana has rubbed elbows with some lawyers in the entertainment industry. Maybe some are here that you can talk to."

"You have really got to start telling me important information like this sooner. Let's go!"

Rachel dragged Finn back to the party and spent the entire time showering him with affection. It was mostly because she loved him and enjoyed kissing him and feeling his body next to hers, but partly because Laina couldn't take her eyes off him. For once, Rachel was the girl with the stud on her arm and not the one wishing and it was nice. By her fourth drink, Laina had apparently gotten over it with one of Santana's fellow associates, however.

"And Santana was worried about me grossly making out with someone," Finn mumbled to Rachel when he caught Laina tugging the man by his tie into the bathroom. But then he noticed Rachel had nodded off. "Hey sleepyhead, it's almost midnight. Don't fall asleep on me." He nudged her awake and grinned at her adorable sleepy face.

"Sorry. I'm not usually up this late." She yawned widely and stretched her entire body.

"I know, but we're almost there. We've only got twenty minutes to go."

Rachel smiled lazily and snuggled against Finn. "We need something to toast with. Does Santana have any sparkling grape juice?"

"I'll go check." Finn kissed her cheek tenderly before venturing to the bar in search of bubbly.

While she waited, Brittany joined Rachel on the couch. The blonde laid her head on Rachel's belly and felt around for movement. "Damn, still not ready," she mumbled as she withdrew. "I guess Santana loses the pot."

"The pot?"

Brittany nodded vigorously. "We all took bets on when you'd pop and whoever is closest wins the money and the pot. I hope it'll be stainless steel to match our other pots and pans. Anyway, Santana bet today, but she's gonna lose. I bet the sixth. Kurt and Blaine are already out since they bet on Christmas and yesterday. Finn bet on the fifth."

"Finn bet?"

"Yep. He actually started the bet and is gonna pick out the pot."

"What?"

Finn returned with glasses of sparkling grape juice and Rachel eyed him in mild annoyance. "Everything okay?"

"You bet on when our baby will be born?"

Finn's mouth dropped open and he put the glasses on the side table. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"A surprise?"

"I was going to use the winnings toward the wedding."

"But what if you lost? How much did you put into this?"

"Fifty bucks. The pot is up to $1500."

"Fifteen hundred?! How many people are in this?"

"Thirty at $50 a person."

"Thirty people?!"

"No, thirty cows. Yes, thirty people. A bunch of people at work, our friends and family all put in. More than half of them are out now. Basically it's between me, Brittany, and Puck and Quinn. Everyone else thought you would have popped by now since you're so big."

"Out of 30 people only four of you are left?"

"No, there are like eight of us left, but I don't think Sugar, Matt, and Kitty are going to win. They bet on tomorrow, the second, and the third. Puck and Quinn might win with the fourth and Brittany picked the sixth, but I'm sure of the fifth."

"Why are you so sure?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know. I just have a strong feeling about it."

"You couldn't have had a feeling about an earlier date? And why wouldn't anyone inform me that bets were being placed about when I would give birth? What if I wanted in?"

"Like I said, it was a surprise and I didn't want to get your hopes up in case I lost. But now that you know, you can take a bet if you want."

"Can people share days?"

"No. Unless you're a couple. So you can go in with me or pick any date after the sixth."

"Since we'll share the money either way, I'll improve our odds and go for the seventh. Do you need the money now?"

"No. You can hang on to it until he's born."

"I'm the reigning champion. I was right about Ben's birthday and my cousin Joe's baby. I'm a baby whisperer," Brittany whispered to Rachel. "Teddy told me he'll be ready in a few days."

"I'm sure he did."

"Britt! Where are you?" Santana called through the crowd, searching for her wife.

"Over here! We're discussing Teddy."

"It's almost midnight. I need my girl for a midnight kiss." She leaned down to press a kiss to Brittany's lips. "Scoot over, Tubbs. I want to sit."

Rachel instead stood and took the glass of juice from Finn. "I need to stand, otherwise I may finally pass out." She held her back with her free hand and whined when a sharp pain shot through her body.

For an instant, Rachel lost strength to hold herself and her knees buckled. The glass shattered on the floor and Finn gripped her sides to pull her over to a chair.

"Are you going into labor? I'll call Dr. Pearl-"

"No, no, Finn. Calm down. It's just a Braxton-Hicks."

"That seemed a lot stronger than your other ones. Your knees buckled."

"I suppose anything is possible. But even if I am going into labor, I'm not giving birth right now. My water hasn't even broken." Another sharp pang radiated from her abdomen.

Santana finished cleaning up the broken champagne glass and gave her a stern glance. "Perhaps you should go to the hospital."

"It's five minutes to midnight. I'm not going anywhere."

"Rachel-"

"Finn, it's fine. It's no – ahh!" She clutched at her belly. "Oh, that hurt." She rubbed her abdomen and took deep breaths, exhaling slowly.

"Rachel, I really think-"

"Finn," she growled, "drop it. They're Braxton-Hicks contractions. Why don't you get me some more to drink? I'm thirsty and dehydration can cause the contractions."

Finn licked his lips and scrunched his brow as he nodded in agreement. "Fine. But if they get longer and stronger, we're going to the hospital. We're not taking any chances."

"Agreed. Now, please get me a drink. We now have less than five minutes." She patted his butt to get him to move.

The remaining minutes ticked by quickly without another contraction and when Finn returned with her drink, she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek and situated herself in his lap. Finn ran his hands over Rachel's belly and massaged her pelvis and lower back.

"Can you two please not start your pregnant foreplay on my vintage couch?"

"It's not foreplay. Finn just gives me massages when my muscles ache."

"Sometimes it's foreplay," Finn added, moving his hands up to cup her breasts, grinning like a fool.

"Finn!" She swatted his hands away, "Not in present company." Tilting her head back, she quietly added, "Keep it in mind for later."

He grinned happily and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Everyone! Everyone it's starting!" Santana called to the crowd as the ball in Times Square began to descend on the television.

All the guests stood and began to count down with the TV, except for Finn and Rachel. She had slid off his lap next to him and nestled into his body. Their fingers intertwined as Finn laced his arm with hers.

"Six…five…four…three…two…one…" Finn quietly counted down, nuzzling his nose against Rachel's. As it struck midnight, their lips finally met in a passionate embrace, Finn's hand slipping into her hair as Rachel absorbed every ounce of love and affection he had to offer. "Happy New Year, Rachel."

"Happy New Year, Finn." She pulled her lips together, tasting him on her skin. "I love you."

"I love you too, babe. This year is going to be the best ever. We're going to have a baby boy and get married and all the drama is behind us."

"We hope. Drama in small doses keeps life interesting but last year had more than enough for a lifetime."

Finn agreed wholeheartedly. "Totally. But at least now any drama will only be ours and dealing with parenting and living together."

"I can deal with that. It's much better than crazy exes."

Her joyous mood soured however when she felt another contraction. She held her belly and as she moved to stand she felt an uncomfortable wetness in her pants. She began to slap at Finn repeatedly, frantic as the liquid seeped further into the material.

"What's going on?" he panicked, grabbing her hand and steadying her.

She looked up at Finn, a grimace on her face as another contraction hit.

"Finn, it's time."

* * *

Getting closer now.


	28. The Complications

"Guess it wasn't time," Finn stated, disappointment in his tone, as they exited the hospital.

"I'm sorry, Finn. I really thought my water broke."

He shrugged and grabbed her hand. "I'm sure you're not the first woman to mistake your gross mucus plug thing for your water breaking. At least it means you're getting close. The doctor said you were two centimeters dilated already. Only eight more to go!"

"I just feel so stupid. I've read all the books and talked with my group about all of this. I knew to expect it but I panicked anyway."

"You aren't stupid, baby. You're a first time mother. There are going to be hiccups. I'd rather get here and find out nothing is happening than wait and have to deliver a baby myself."

"But we missed the rest of Santana's party. And now I'm too exhausted to do what I wanted to do to you when we got home." She frowned and rested her head on his shoulder.

"There will be more parties. You'll only give birth to our son once."

"I suppose. Can we go home now?"

Finn nodded and hailed them a cab. By the time they arrived home, Rachel was so tired she could hardly make it up the front stoop.

"Babe, I can't lift you anymore. Why don't you just sleep in the living room?"

"But we both won't fit on the couch. And it's lumpier than the bed. I can make it."

She swayed all the way up the stairs, Finn holding her up from behind. "Arms up," he motioned for her to lift her arms when they strolled through the bedroom door. One of the awesome things about Rachel being too tired to function was getting to undress her and ogling the goods. Rachel didn't mind since she didn't have to struggle herself. "This is the latest you've been up in a while," he commented when he noticed the time.

"What time is it?" She yawned widely and her eyes drooped as Finn helped her take her jeans off.

"Almost four am."

She groaned loudly and plopped down on the bed, scooting under the covers without bothering to put pajamas on.

"Don't you want a nightgown to hold your boobs in?" He held up one of her special maternity nightgowns. It was her favorite and always made her feel like a Greek goddess with the fine flowing material that fell to her ankles.

"Too tire'," she mumbled, turning onto her side and beginning to snore.

Finn chuckled and undressed himself, turned off the lamp, climbed into bed, and pressed a goodnight kiss to Rachel's forehead before promptly being kicked in the shin as she turned in her sleep. "The only thing I miss about sleeping alone is not being beaten up in my sleep." Rachel released a snore loud enough to wake the dead, "And not being kept awake by a deviated septum."

Despite the snoring and sleep battering, Finn managed to fall asleep and the next time he woke it was early afternoon and he was alone in bed. Stretching, Finn removed himself and trudged downstairs until he heard faint singing coming from the nursery. When he went to investigate, Finn found Rachel in the rocking chair, eyes closed, and singing Rainbow Connection as she caressed her bump.

He watched her quietly for a moment and pictured the same moment only with their son in her arms instead of in her belly. He couldn't wait to meet him and finally be a father.

"Guess I'm not the only one daydreaming," he heard her say quietly. When his eyes refocused, she was grinning at him and positively glowing. "What are you thinking about?"

"You. And our son. You're going to be the best mom ever and I can't wait to wake up and find you rocking him in your arms instead of in your uterus."

"It will be nice when I can cradle a sleeping baby instead of my bloated belly. At least I hope he'll be asleep. He was throwing a tantrum earlier and woke me up. I peed and ate and walked around but he was still wailing on my insides. I thought rocking him might help."

"Did it?"

"Mhm, he's asleep now…I'm pretty sure anyway. He's stopped rolling around. If he's so upset at being cramped, why doesn't he just come out?"

"He's stubborn, just like his mother."

"I think he got a double dose because his father is pretty stubborn too."

"I'm not stubborn, just persistent."

"Essentially the same thing."

"Then I'm going to persist in getting you back into bed. Since you're well rested, I hope you aren't opposed to doing what you wanted to do to me last night," he flirted.

"I could be persuaded."

Finn helped her up from the rocker and she took his hand to lead him back up to bed.

A few hours later, Rachel found herself on her way to Tina's after Finn had been called into work when a pipe burst during the renovating. Not in the mood to spend another day in the house alone, Rachel jumped at the chance to join Tina in decorating her nursery.

When she arrived, her friend seemed overwhelmed with the task. "Thank you for coming. I'm having such a hard time deciding which theme to go with. I asked Mike numerous times whether he preferred frogs or elephants but he didn't care either way and said I should just do what I want since I would anyway. He's not invested in this at all. First he doesn't want to decorate the nursery with me, then he didn't want to go with me to Lamaze, he hasn't helped with the planning for my baby shower at all..." She began hyperventilating and appeared faint.

"Tina, Tina, you need to calm down. You don't want to pass out." She helped her settle into a chair and went to grab her some water. "Tina, I'm sensing that the nursery isn't the issue here. What's going on?"

"Mike doesn't want this baby and lately it seems he doesn't want me. He resents me for trapping him. Mike is cheating on me."

"What?! I'm sure that isn't true."

"But it is! He's been texting a lot with his dance partner, more than a working partnership requires. When it comes to the baby and me, he doesn't seem interested at all. He's so distant and when we do talk it seems like it always ends in an argument. It's like he only enjoyed being with me when we were apart.

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for his behavior. Neither of you expected this to happen and it's going to take time to adjust. You've only been living together for a few weeks now and he's still learning how to live with a woman and prepping for a baby while working a new job in a new city."

"Why are you defending him?"

"Because I've seen the way he looks at you. Mike loves you. He quit school and moved to New York to be with you and raise your baby."

Tina wiped at her eyes and rubbed her stomach, her face scrunching in discomfort. But she pressed on, "I don't understand why he would act so callous and distant toward me if he actually cared."

"All couples go through bumps. Believe me, Finn and I have had our fair share, but if it's worth it, you fight for it."

"What if he leaves and I have to do this myself?"

Rachel put her arm around Tina's shoulders. "He won't, I know it." She brushed some hair out of her eyes. "Now turn that frown upside down. Baby doesn't like it when you're sad and stressed."

Tina let out a short laugh and wiped at more tears. "You're a good friend, Rachel."

"So are you, Tina." She squeezed her in a hug before picking up the elephant and frog wallpaper samples. "Without over thinking it, which pattern do you prefer?"

"The elephant. It's more neutral than the frog."

"Then go with the elephant. It's very cute."

Tina released a sharp gasp and clutched at her belly. "These Braxton-Hicks are kicking my ass today."

"I hear ya. I thought I was going into labor last night with how strong mine were, and I lost my plug finally. We spent a couple hours at the hospital because I thought it was my water."

"Happy New Year!"

"Right?" Rachel stood and grabbed Tina's materials off the table. "Since you have a theme now, let's work on it and surprise Mike when he gets home. Then you two can sit down and have a discussion about what's been going on. Nothing will get resolved until you talk it through."

Tina nodded in agreement before blowing her nose. "You're right. I guess I've just been scared to ask for fear of being right about his affair."

She helped Tina to her feet and as she walked past, Rachel noticed something unsettling on the couch. "Tina, don't panic, but you're bleeding."

"What?" She noticed the pool of blood and felt her pants and began to panic. "Oh my God! What do I do?!"

"Stay calm and change your pants. We're going to the hospital. I will call Mike and tell him what's going on." She put her hands on Tina's shoulders. "Just breathe and don't panic."

As it turned out, panic was an appropriate reaction. The minute they arrived to the hospital and told the emergency room what was happening, Tina had been rushed into a room and a doctor met her immediately.

Rachel stayed by Tina's side as the doctor proceeded to examine her and once finished, the doctor had some serious news.

"Miss Cohen-Chang, as you're far enough along to safely give birth, that's what we're going to suggest. You've got a placental abruption. Most of the placenta is still attached to the uterine wall, but I don't want to take any chances since it could cause the baby's heart rate to slow if it comes off further. I'd like to perform a c-section to cut down on risks to you and the baby of going through a natural birth."

"Do I have to? I mean, if it's still attached it can't be too bad, right?"

The doctor and nurse shared a glance. "Miss Cohen-Chang, I know you're very scared right now, but I promise, this is the best course for you and your baby. If you wait, you could lose the baby and potentially your own life. We've performed hundreds of c-sections over the years with great success rates for mom and baby."

Tina began to break down then, tears streaming freely while she shook her head back and forth. "No, no, no, I can't do this. I'm not ready. I wasn't supposed to give birth for weeks yet."

Rachel brushed her hair from her face and consoled her, "Plans change, Tina. You can do this, I know you can. You're strong and this is the best thing for you both."

"I can't."

"Miss Cohen-Chang, if we wait any longer, the risk of complication-"

"Does she have to go under the knife this second?" Rachel asked, hoping Mike – whenever he arrived – could talk her through this.

"Well, no, but I'd like to do it today, as soon as possible."

"Can she wait for her boyfriend to get here to talk to him?"

"Sure. We'll give you some time to rest, but we really must act soon." The doctor and nurse exited the room leaving the women alone.

"I can't believe this is happening." She ran her hands over her swollen stomach. "She's too little and isn't ready to come out yet. I'm not prepared to care for her yet either. The nursery is nowhere near ready and I haven't even had my baby shower!"

Rachel pulled out her phone and texted Mike again about his whereabouts. "Mike is almost here. He said two or so more miles."

"And what about Mike? He's clearly not ready for this."

"It's going to be okay. I know you're freaking out a little but you need to look at this as a good thing. You won't have to go through the pain of labor, you can tell people which gender to buy for for the shower, and you'll get even more time to spend with your little angel while he or she is still little."

"That is true, I suppose."

"I actually kind of envy you. I've been waiting weeks for Teddy to come out but he refuses to leave. I refuse to believe that it is comfortable in there. I'm a small woman and he's a big boy."

"I'm having the opposite problem. My OB/GYN said she's a little smaller than she should be and I'm apparently underweight."

Though she knew it was utterly ridiculous, jealousy rolled through Rachel. Teddy was absolutely huge and she had put on so much weight from eating her feelings and so much meat that she was almost fifty pounds heavier than when she started. When she finally realized just how big she had gotten, she fretted over getting her figure back.

"God, I hate him," she muttered, cursing Finn and his big ass genes.

"Who?"

"Finn. His giant genes are the reason I currently look like this!" She motioned to her engorged belly. "Teddy certainly does not get his size from me."

"Maybe the next one will."

The door opened then and a frazzled Mike rushed in, kissing Tina repeatedly as if he hadn't in years. "I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic was insane."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here. I wasn't sure you would care."

Mike was perplexed, "Why do you think I wouldn't care?"

"You just haven't seemed to, lately."

Mike grew frustrated. "Of course I care, Tina. I know we've been in a rough patch since I moved here, but I love you and our baby and there is nowhere I'd rather be than right here."

"Then why are you cheating on me?" He was stunned. "Don't act all surprised. I know you have been."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"All those texts with Amelia, showing no interest in me physically or emotionally, not even the baby."

Mike sat on the bed next to her. "Tina, I swear, I am not cheating on you. I know I've been a bit distant but that's just because I've been busy with something big."

"What could be bigger than having a baby with me?"

"Asking you to marry me."

"Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry I've been so cranky and tight lipped lately, but I know that if I got into a conversation with you, I would have spilled the beans. You know I don't like keeping things from you and have a hard time lying convincingly."

"Then why did you tell me now?"

"I couldn't let you think I was cheating on you. Amelia was helping me plan how to propose. Her _husband_," Tina grew sheepish, "works in the Diamond District and was helping me pick out a ring."

"Well…why wouldn't you help me with the nursery?"

"Because I know you and you would brow beat me into agreeing with you on everything, anyway. And I had to meet Derek to pick up your ring." He pulled a little velvet box out of his inside coat pocket to reveal a gorgeous princess cut diamond set in a simple platinum band, 'be my wife' engraved in the metal. He took her hand in his and knelt next to the bed. "Tina Ming Cohen-Chang, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She smiled so wide tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. "You want to marry me? You aren't getting ready to leave me?"

"That's all I've ever wanted. I could never leave you."

Tina nodded. "Yes, Michael John Chang, I will be your wife."

"Really?"

She nodded again enthusiastically. "Yes. I love you and want to spend my life with you. I always have."

"I love you." He got off his knees and took Tina into his arms. "Thank you."

The doctor returned and for the first time, Mike really noticed Tina was in a hospital bed. "What's going on?"

"I'm assuming you're the boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"Well, Miss Cohen-Chang has suffered a placental abruption," Mike was blank, "which means her placenta has partially removed from the uterine wall. It's problematic as the flow of blood and oxygen to the fetus could decrease causing the heart rate to slow. It can also lead to internal bleeding in the mother. To prevent all of this, I'd like to perform a c-section. Your baby is a bit underweight but developed enough to easily survive out of the womb. We feel it's the best option for mother and child at this point."

"Then do it. What are you waiting for?" Mike replied in a tizzy. He squeezed Tina's hand and looked at her, scared and worried.

"I was waiting for you. I can't give birth without you there."

"So, we're all set? We can prep for surgery now?" Tina nodded and signed the release form.

Things moved quickly from there and Mike stayed by Tina's side the entire time, reassuring her that he was not cheating, did not resent her, did not feel trapped, and would work harder to make her feel appreciated like she deserved. Rachel thought it was sweet that all her couple friends were reaffirming their love lately and wondered if it had to do with all the oxytocin from all the pregnancies.

She sat out in the waiting room, wringing her hands nervously in anticipation once Tina had been fully prepped and promised Mike she would stay until both mother and baby were safe and sound. Shortly after entering surgery, Finn rushed into the room and quickly pulled her into an embrace.

"Rachel, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just waiting on news of Tina. She just went in a few minutes ago."

"But you aren't in labor? It's just Tina?"

Rachel snorted, "I wish I was, but no. He's still sticking it out in here."

"Persistent little dude."

"Quite." She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her upper arms as a shiver ran through her. "I'm so nervous. Tina was so scared and she was having issues with Mike. But then he got here and proposed to her and assuaged her fears that he was cheating on her."

"Oh…well…good for them. It seems like everyone I know is getting married or having a baby…or both."

"That's probably because they are." Rachel sighed in frustration.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just annoying that Tina is weeks behind me yet having her baby first. I'm tired of being pregnant and just want to be a mom and get my old body back. I miss sleeping on my stomach. And I want to see what I'll look like with these," she held her breasts, "without the giant belly underneath."

Finn grinned lasciviously and leaned closer to press his lips to her ear. "I'm pretty excited about that too." He nipped at her earlobe and kissed her cheek.

"I'll bet you are." She rested her chin in her hand. "Perhaps I should start increasing my efforts to induce labor. Ooh, they had jalapeño poppers in the cafeteria earlier. Perhaps I should try those with some hot sauce. Spicy foods are known to induce labor."

"Know what else is known to induce labor?" Finn playfully waggled his eyebrows and eyed her up and down as if she were already naked.

"Finn, we're in a hospital waiting for one of my best friends to give birth. This is neither the time nor the place for such activities."

"Actually it seems like a perfect place to induce labor. We wouldn't have far to travel."

"What about the bet? And Dr. Pearl is in Manhattan, not Queens."

"It's gonna be a little while for Tina to get through surgery and Dr. Pearl can travel. As for the bet, I care more about you and Teddy and your guys' comfort more than some bet. I don't care when you give birth, as long as my two favorite people come through it healthy and happy." He placed his hand on her belly and rubbed it back and forth gently.

Hitting the right button on her emotions with that little statement, Rachel's frisky and risky side dominated her current mood and her eyes grew dark with wanton lust. "You have fifteen minutes to find us a room and get the job done. I don't want to miss Mike when he comes out with news."

In a flash, Finn stood and pulled Rachel to her feet and frantically began searching for an empty room. Unfortunately they were all full, forcing them to try a different floor. That was when they came to the mother of all birthing rooms – a deluxe suite.

"This birthing suite is nicer than our bedroom," Rachel commented as their heads both swiveled around to take in the view.

"Is that a hot tub? Rachel, they have a hot tub," he grinned at her.

"That isn't a hot tub. It's a birthing tub for water births. We are not having sex in it."

"Yeah, good idea." Instead, Finn helped Rachel onto the lavish bed and tugged her yoga pants down while she helped undo his jeans. "This is probably the craziest place I've ever had sex."

"Really? Even with Santana?"

"Even when we were dating she didn't like advertising we were having sex. And since she found sex with me rather repulsive anyway, she was not willing to experiment in different locations."

"Jesse was that way. We only ever used the bedroom. Can't say the same for-"

"I don't need to hear about your ex. It's kind of a mood killer."

Rachel half-grinned sheepishly, "Sorry. But you did technically start it."

"Well then, I'll be sure to finish it." Incredibly hard from the anticipation alone, Finn pushed Rachel's legs apart and slipped inside her. "W-wait, should we be doing this? Is it safe after what happened last night?"

"Perfectly safe. Just be careful."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. I asked the doctor. Now if you don't mind, I'm kinda antsy here, and anyone could walk in at any time. Move it, buster!" Rachel pushed her hips up and threw her head back as Finn finally got down to business and rocked her world, not to mention the bed.

The rush of adrenaline coursing through her was intense and the fast shallow thrusts were building the friction in her body to epic proportions and quickly. Finn had only just begun to tease her little pink nub with his thumb as he continued his thrusts when she clenched tightly around him and shuddered as her orgasm penetrated her entire system. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and saw brilliant flashes of color behind her eyelids as she gripped the sheets of the bed for support and tried not to scream. When she opened her eyes, little silver stars floated in her blurry vision while she tried to focus on the indescribable pleasure on Finn's face as he dug his fingers into her ass, lifting her as he buried himself inside her slick heat, filling her with everything he had.

A single loud cry escaped his parted lips as he lightly pumped back and forth, indulging in the post-orgasmic glow and feeling of lightness. It took a few moments for him to get his bearings back, but once he did, he couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"That was awesome."

"I am inclined to agree." Rachel giggled and crooked her finger at him to join her on the bed. He laid beside her and pulled her close, kicking his pants and boxers off fully, and nuzzled his nose along her cheek.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She lifted their entwined hands and kissed the back of his. "As much as I would love to cuddle with you, we really need to get our pants back on and get back to the waiting room. Mike could be out any time."

Finn lifted his head and looked at the clock on the wall. "What time did she go in?"

"About seven. The doctor said it could take anywhere from an hour to three depending on what, if any, complications arise. I hope everything went okay. It would be devastating if either had problems."

"I'm sure they'll be fine." He kissed the side of her head. "Come on, let's get dressed."

When they finished righting their appearances, Rachel noticed that they had made a bit of a mess on the bed. "We should strip the sheets for them. There's a laundry basket over there."

"That isn't our job, babe."

"But it would be incredibly rude to leave behind sheets with a mess that we made on them, especially when we weren't supposed to be here in the first place." She gave him a penetrating look that left no room for argument.

Finn rolled his eyes, but tugged the sheets off. Just as he finished stuffing them in the bin, a nurse opened the door and walked in, startled for a moment when she found the couple standing there. Behind her were a man and woman, clearly ready to pop.

"Excuse me, what are you doing in here?"

"Oh, um," Rachel glanced up at Finn for help.

He wrapped his arm around Rachel's waist. "We're obviously expecting and wanted to see what the deluxe suite looked like. It's swanky. If I were an infant, I wouldn't mind being born in here." Rachel nodded along with his answer. "Come on, babe. These fine folks appear to have this room reserved. Toodle-oo!"

Finn ushered them past the expectant couple and as they hit the elevator, Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him in disbelief. "Toodle-oo?"

"I panicked, okay? At least we're out of there now."

The elevator dinged on their floor and when they stepped out, Rachel was both relieved and panicked to see that Mike was not around. She waddled over to the nurses' station and inquired about Tina's status. She was still in surgery but that was all they could tell her.

"I do hope she's alright."

Finn walked her over to the seats and she settled in. "Did you still want jalapeño poppers?"

In response, her stomach growled loudly. She rubbed it in embarrassment. "Yes please. I'd like some apple juice too if they have any and if they don't, water is fine."

"I'll be back."

Nearly two hours later, after Rachel had gorged herself on jalapeño poppers and made several trips to the bathroom, Mike finally came out with the biggest smile on his face.

"How did it go? Are Tina and the baby okay?" Rachel worried, standing up to meet Mike.

"They're perfect, just perfect. My fiancée and daughter came through the surgery just fine."

Rachel squealed and jumped up and down in giddiness. "You had a girl?! Congratulations, Mike!" She hugged him and when she pulled away, Finn gave him a handshake. "Tell me everything about her!"

"Her name is Maia June Chang. She weighed five pounds, one ounce, sixteen inches. She's still considered premature since she's not 37 weeks, so she's in the NICU for now, but she's alert and responding well to tests. They just want to keep her for a few days to make sure she'll be okay."

"I'm sure she'll come through. She fought hard to get here, she won't give up now. What about Tina?"

"Tina's asleep. The drugs really knocked her out, but she got to hold Maia at least before they took her away. I have a picture." Mike dug his phone out and showed them the pictures of Tina with a screaming, wrinkly, blood covered infant. She was absolutely tiny but it was apparent her lungs were developed from the contortion her face was in.

"She's beautiful, Mike."

"You could probably visit her now that she's stable."

Mike waved them in the direction of the NICU and after jumping through hoops, they were finally allowed in. Maia was resting in an incubator to keep her warm but when Mike put his hand in the hole to hold hers, all her limbs jolted and she woke up. Little hints of crying began to come out of her and he attempted to hush her back to sleep until she finally burst into a fit of tears. She wailed loudly and flailed as much as an infant her size could.

"Crap! Maia, it's okay. It's just Daddy." Mike tried to shush her to calm her down but she only kept on crying.

"Mike," Rachel put her hand on his shoulder and he turned to face her, "can I try?"

"Whatever works…"

Rachel pulled a chair closer to the machine and softly began to sing into the hole closest to Maia's face. She gently stroked her new soft baby skin in a calming manner and slowly the infant began to calm down. As her face relaxed, Rachel noticed that she looked quite a bit like Tina.

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops__  
__Away above the chimney tops__  
__That's where you'll find me_

She finished her lullaby of Over the Rainbow and Maia was cool as a cucumber by the end, staring at Rachel intensely. "See? Nothing to be scared of." She lightly rubbed Maia's little belly before standing up and smiling at the men watching her in awe. "What?"

"You're like a baby magician. How did you do that?"

"Babies like soothing voices. Whenever my dads sang to me I always calmed right down. Once she gets used to yours and Tina's voices, I'm sure she'll be easier to relax."

Finn wrapped his arms around Rachel from behind and pressed a kiss to her cheek, making her giggle in delight. "You're going to be the best mom ever, seriously."

"I certainly hope so. I know Teddy already appreciates my voice…and yours." She beamed up at Finn and he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but visiting hours are over for everyone but immediately family," a nurse informed them as she came into the room to check on Maia.

"Okay. We should probably head home anyway. It's getting late."

"Thanks for sticking around. I know Tina appreciated it even if she didn't get to see you after the surgery."

"We can stop by tomorrow when Finn gets home from work. I'm sure she'll want to gush about her beautiful little girl. She really is so precious, Mike. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I hope I can say the same thing to you soon. You look ready to explode."

"Thanks," Rachel replied dryly.

Rachel and Finn said goodbye to Mike and Maia with promises to visit the next day and on the way home, Rachel lamented how their plan to induce labor had failed.

"I want him to come out! I want to sing him to sleep in my arms, and feel his soft skin and rub his little belly. Seeing Maia only made me want Teddy more."

"He'll come out soon. He can't stay in there forever."

"Listen to Daddy. We're ready for you anytime, buddy," she spoke to her stomach, earning a jab to her uterus in reply. "Little punk."

"Just stick with the ways to induce labor and see if that helps."

"Trust me, I will."

And for the next three days that was all she did. She nearly wore Finn out with how many times she jumped him in a 72 hour period, in addition to walking him around the block until her feet ached then insisting Finn give her massages, which turned into yet more sex. Plus, she ate every bit of spicy food she was allowed.

In the wee hours of the fifth – the beginning of the fourth day of what Rachel assumed would be more fruitless efforts to get her son out of her – she sat atop a panting Finn, exhausted from the effort of another orgasm.

"I never thought I'd say this…" he sucked in a deep breath, "but I'm tired of sex. Can we please go to bed?"

"I am now five days past my due date, Finn. Dr. Pearl is talking about inducing me if I go past five days over since he's so damn big. And today is the fifth. If I give birth today, we win the bet!"

"Would that be such a bad thing, to induce? Then we would definitely win."

"No, we wouldn't because she would induce tomorrow which means Brittany would win. And I want to do this naturally. I don't want any drugs in my system to give birth."

"Well, can't you just manually get off?"

"I could, but sperm has prostaglandins in it which can thin and dilate the cervix and I cannot produce that myself obviously."

"I love it when you talk dirty. Tell me more about porstalgandins," he mocked, growling at her playfully.

"_Prostaglandins_. And ha ha. You're _sooo_ funny." She lifted herself off Finn and moved onto her left side to face him. "Fine. We can take a break for sleep I suppose. My back is starting to hurt anyway."

"Want a massage?"

"Yes, please." She pressed her belly against Finn's and mewled in delight when his hands began to knead her lower back. "I hope this will continue even after Theodore is born."

"For you, of course."

Soon she was asleep from his touches, Finn passed out next to her, until sharp pains began to sting in her back and hips, waking her from her slumber. She looked at the clock and saw it was around six am and that she had only gotten about four hours of sleep.

Getting up, Rachel used the bathroom and rubbed the pain out of her back, but it didn't seem to help much.

"Teddy, I know you're happy in there, but _please_ do Mommy a favor and come out," she croaked as her head fell into her hands. The pain receded slowly and disappeared long enough for her to fall asleep again until about an hour later, another sharp pain stabbed in her back.

This time Finn was awake and getting ready for work when she walked into the bathroom. "Hey beautiful, what are you doing up?"

"Backache. I hate being so top and front heavy. It pulls at my lower back so much."

Finn kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. I'll refrain from accidentally knocking you up again and causing you back pain."

"You better. We have a deal on this subject. Perhaps I should get it in writing and notarized."

"I know a lawyer who could do that for you." He chuckled and dropped his boxers to get in the shower. "Want to join me?"

She shrugged indifferently. "Why not?"

A couple hours later, after Finn was long gone and Rachel was left to relax on the couch, the pain in her back started to increase in intensity. It was still quite far apart when it came in waves, but it was impossible to concentrate through the sharp pangs.

"Oh God, Teddy, you would choose while Daddy isn't here to come." She dug out her laptop and checked her symptoms and she was positive she had really gone into labor this time. Another contraction hit and she gripped the edge of the couch hard. "Oh fuck. Fuck." It subsided. "How am I supposed to get through this when they get worse?"

Rachel stood and held her stomach as she walked to the foyer closet to grab her overnight bag then eased herself back onto the couch to wait. Based on the intensity and time between contractions, she had quite a ways to go.

While she watched and sang along with _Funny Girl_, Rachel timed her contractions and paid attention to their strength. Every few hours they got closer together until she stood to get some water and realized when she turned around from the fridge to head back to the kitchen that a trail of liquid followed her path into the kitchen.

"Great! I feel it when I lose my plug but not when my water breaks. Pregnancy, you are a unique form of torture."

She found her phone and put the call on speaker as she began to clean herself up and prepare to head to the hospital.

"_Hey, Rach. What's up?_"

"It's happening." Another contraction started and she angrily gripped the edge of the sink and grit her teeth. "For real this time. Hurry!"

* * *

Gotcha! But this time, it really is happening. No trickery! I know this chapter seems a little superfluous but my muse demanded it be written. I was intrigued by the idea of Tina giving birth first and Rachel being jealous and a little desperate at being past forty weeks.

Next chapter should be up Friday, I hope. Thanks for reading (and for any reviews you may leave)! :)


	29. The Birth

Technically it is still Friday on the east coast so I did not lie about updating on Friday. This chapter took longer to write than I wanted it to, but it is written. I hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

Rachel took a deep breath and slowly released it as she massaged her stomach. She rocked back and forth on her birthing ball praying Finn would arrive soon and help distract her from the pain and take her to the hospital. Now that her water had broken, she hoped the whole process would move a little quicker. She didn't want to end up like the horror stories she'd heard about labor lasting for days.

As she released another breath, she heard the front door open and the sound of feet scuffling along the hardwood. "Rachel?!" Finn called out frantically. She leaned forward and gripped the coffee table to peer into the foyer just in time to see Finn's feet fly out from under him forcing him on his back.

"Finn!"

He groaned loudly and rolled onto his side, rubbing his ass. "Ow." Pushing himself upright, Finn looked around for the offending culprit when his hand came into contact with a clear liquid.

"Finn, are you alright?" Rachel inquired, standing up and meeting him in the foyer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just slipped in something. Did you spill water?"

Rachel's cheeks flamed in embarrassment. "I thought I cleaned it all."

Finn stood and brushed himself off. "It's okay. It's just water."

"No, it's not water. It's _my_ water. It broke and I didn't really notice so I tracked it all over the house. I thought I got it all when I cleaned up."

"That's your amniotic fluid?" She nodded. "Ew!"

He dashed to the bathroom and scrubbed his hands and Rachel appeared in the doorway behind him, arms crossed over her chest, face stern. "I'm about to push a bloody mess the size of a watermelon out of hole no wider than a cucumber and you're getting squeamish about amniotic fluid?"

"It's just gross. I don't want the nasty pregnancy fluids all over me."

"It's amniotic fluid. It's clear and odorless and not even the most disgusting thing I'll eject from my body today! I'm not going through this alone!" she shouted at him, her eyes narrowing, nostrils flaring. He flinched at the outburst which began getting worse as she rounded on him, moving closer until he was backed against the wall. "You were more than happy to be there when he was created; you're going to be there when he's born. It is going to be bloody and my vagina is going to go through hell and I will scream in pain and sweat and cry and there will be bodily functions going on you never wanted to see, but you're going to because Theodore is your son and I am your fiancée and we both need you. I don't care if you get _nasty pregnancy fluids_ all over you, you will do it and be happy about it. My body is going through all of this because of you and your inability to pull out, so whatever qualms you have about getting dirty, get over 'em!" She gripped his shirt and tugged him down to her level to stare him in the eye, hard. "Got it?!"

He gulped in fear and nodded like a bobble head. Rachel was terrifying and there was no way he was going to further enrage her.

"Good." She released his shirt and it was like a switch had been hit. Rachel became loving and happy again, smoothing out the wrinkles in the material, smiling at him. "Now, my water has broken and I need to get checked out to see my progression. My contractions are still pretty far apart but they may keep me depending upon how dilated I am. Dr. Pearl will meet us at the hospital." She patted his chest before waddling back out to the living room and her birthing ball. "How exactly are we getting to the hospital? Is our ride available or do we need a cab?"

"My mom is getting us. I called her when I got off the subway."

"I should call my dads. I've been so consumed with my contractions, I hadn't even thought about it."

"Already taken care of. I sent out a text to all my contacts."

"You told my parents they are about to be grandparents in a text?" she deadpanned, displeased.

"Do you know how long it would take to call everyone?"

"We could have at least called my dads!"

"Does it really matter? Text or call, either way they're leaving now."

Her face contorted and she held her stomach, breathing so heavily the pages of her magazine began flipping. Finn knelt behind her while she gripped the edge of the coffee table and began massaging her back and hips. "Is that helping at all?"

"A bit. Keep going…" she strained to say. "Oh _God_. Harder." Finn chuckled lightly and Rachel grunted. "What could possibly be funny about my pain?"

Sensing another chewing out, he quickly elaborated. "Nothing. It's not your pain. It's just kinda poetic…you said the same thing when Teddy was conceived as you are when he's being born."

"I don't remember talking that much once we got started. To be honest, that night feels like a lifetime ago."

"It kinda was…at least for Teddy." They both chuckled and Rachel finally let out a breath.

"Thank you. The distraction was really helpful."

"Anytime." She sat up and spun around on the ball. Finn rubbed Rachel's knees and pressed a kiss to her belly. "I can't believe after all this waiting we're about to meet."

"We hope. It could be hours yet." She glanced at the clock seeing it was just after two and moaned. "Based on when I first started feeling pain, I've been in labor for about twelve hours. I think that last round of sex actually did kick things off. Yay!" She fist pumped half-heartedly.

"Glad I could help."

"Where is your mom? I want to get this show on the road."

Finn pulled out his phone reading the info from a text. "She took a wrong turn in Central Park and had to double back. She doesn't drive much since she hates the traffic."

"Then why isn't Burt driving?" she whined, wiping sweat from her forehead. "It's hot. Why is it so hot?"

"Burt isn't driving because he's at a fundraiser for one of his charities today. He said he'll meet us at the hospital once he can though."

She groaned and slid off the ball, maneuvering so she could lean on it instead. "Finn, I'm thirsty."

"I'll get you some water and turn down the heat."

Rachel closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing and Teddy's movements inside her. He moved around a lot between contractions, attempting to get comfortable, and Rachel took it as a sign that he was strong and doing well.

As she waited for Finn, a knock on the door called her attention and Rachel got up to answer it, sighing in relief when she saw it was Carole. "I am so happy you're here." So happy she began to cry and hugged Carole tightly. Her emotions were running high and she was already exhausted.

Carole rocked her back and forth and stroked her hair in a comforting manner. "I know, Rachel. Believe me I know."

"I just want him out."

She held Rachel at arm's length and looked around her at Finn who had just returned. "Are you both ready? Rachel really needs to get checked out if her water has broken."

They helped Rachel out to the car and Finn sat in the backseat with her to help her through her next contraction and massage her back and abdomen. When they arrived, Carole dropped them off then left to pick up Burt, and Rachel was ushered into an exam room and Dr. Pearl took care of her.

"You're in luck. You're just over four centimeters dilated so we can keep you here. Things should start picking up soon."

"It took thirteen hours to dilate two centimeters?!" Rachel asked in disbelief.

"I know it's frustrating, but child birth runs on no one's schedule. Every pregnancy is different. If you want to speed things up we can give you some Pitocin."

Rachel shook her head. "No drugs. I'll stick to natural methods."

"Well, we can start by walking you to your LDR suite and getting you hooked up to a few heart monitors. Then you can relax or walk around. You'll want to stick close to your bed since your contractions appear to be getting stronger now," Dr. Pearl commented when she noticed Rachel's face beginning to scrunch in pain and the grip on Finn's hand making him squirm in his chair.

"I've noticed," she replied through her teeth.

Once settled into her suite, in a hospital gown and hooked up to monitors, Rachel rested on her side while Finn kneaded her back.

"Knock, knock," Hiram said as he poked his head in the room, a beaming smile on his face.

"Papa! Come in!" Grateful for the distraction, Rachel pushed herself upright and glowed when she saw the items in their hands. "Flowers, balloons, _and_ teddy bears?"

"Theodore is our first grandchild. Of course we're going to celebrate," Leroy explained, setting the huge 'It's a Boy' bouquet down by the window and the balloons and bear on the table next to her bed. "The bear is from both of us, the balloons are from your father, and I picked out the bouquet. Blue gerbera daisies since blue is generally accepted for boys, gerbera daisies because Gerber baby – Gerbera, white roses for new life and innocence, and of course baby's breath because…well, that should be obvious." Leroy was very proud of his flower choices.

"They're beautiful. Thank you."

"So what is the status? How close are we to being granddaddies?" Hiram twitched in excitement.

"I'm at four centimeters. Dr. Pearl said I was into active labor now. It's already been thirteen hours. I hope it won't take too much longer."

"I'm sure our little Theo is eager to get out and meet his Mama. I don't think he'll keep you waiting too much longer."

"Daddy, his nickname is Teddy."

"I prefer Theo. How many adult men do you know that call themselves Teddy?"

"Teddy is a good nickname for a child and as he grows older we can start calling him Ted. And Teddy Roosevelt was called Teddy. So don't tell me Teddy cannot be a grown man's nickname when one of our finest presidents was known by Teddy," Rachel replied testily. She could feel another contraction starting and it seemed every time one happened her temper flared and she grew short with everyone around.

She white-knuckled the railing of the bed and writhed around as she fought to get comfortable and all the men gathered round to tell her to remember to breathe.

"I am breathing!" she roared at them, her nostrils flared and her eyes glowing angrily.

They all took a large step back until she began to relax again, releasing the railing and taking deeper breaths.

Finn tentatively moved closer and leaned down to eyelevel. "Babe…"

"I'm sorry. It just hurt so much."

"There's still time for an epidural."

She adamantly shook her head in protest. "No. I don't want him coming out all doped up. With you as a dad he'll be dopey enough." Hiram snorted and Leroy nudged him. "I'm sorry, that was rude."

"It's okay. I am kind of dopey and pain can make people lash out when they don't mean to." But he still looked slightly hurt.

"Finn, I'm sorry. I love you and I don't mean to be mean."

"Really, it's fine. I'd probably be mean if someone kept repeatedly kicking me in the balls. I'll be your punching bag today if you need it."

And it turned out, she would.

Hours passed and nearly every time she had a contraction – growing stronger, longer and closer together with each occurrence – she verbally kicked him in the balls until the pain grew so intense she couldn't speak through it.

"I hate your stupid face! Stop smiling at my pain, you ass – oh!" Her back bowed and she thrashed on the bed, kicking her blankets down and forcing her gown up to display her uncovered parts. Her fathers balked at the sight and excused themselves from the room for some air.

Finn moved to the end of the bed to grab the blanket and throw it back over her lower half but instead got a kick in the face when her foot slipped on the material. He held his jaw and when Rachel's contraction ended began to complain about the pain.

Rachel glowered at him. "I will kick you again if you don't shut up. You do not know pain!"

Finn dropped the subject and sank down in his chair quietly. Another knock on the door distracted them both and his mother and Burt walked in.

"Hi, Rachel. We just wanted to check on your progress."

"It's been four hours since I got here, seventeen total since labor started, and I'm only at six centimeters."

"And her contractions are getting worse but she won't accept an epidural. She keeps insisting she doesn't want drugs."

"Because I don't. I can do this without it, Finn. For thousands of years women have been giving birth without drugs. The female body is built to deal with the pain."

Carole berated her son. "Let her be, Finn. It's Rachel's decision what she wants to do."

"I just hate seeing her in pain when she doesn't have to be."

Despite her grumpiness, Rachel took his hand and smiled at him. "That's so sweet, but you don't need to feel bad. I made this choice and I can handle it." She shifted uncomfortably. "Finn, do you think you could get me some more water? I'm kind of thirsty."

"Yeah, I'll get some. Did you want anything else?"

"Maybe a popsicle."

"Sure." He kissed her forehead and left the room with Burt who was rather finicky about the whole birth thing.

Carole took Finn's seat. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm a wreck. I'm peeing nearly every half hour, I can't sleep because the contractions are so bad, I keep going back and forth between hot and cold, and Finn keeps pestering me about getting an epidural."

"He's just worried about you."

"I know, and I love that he cares so much, but it is grating on my nerves that he won't drop it after I've repeatedly told him to."

"It's probably a coping mechanism. He's not going through the same things as you, but it's still a scary time for him. You and Theodore are the most important people in his life and he wants both of you to come through this as easy as possible. I know when Finn was born, Chris was a mess. He had a sympathetic pregnancy and cried harder than I did during my labor."

Rachel smiled and tried to imagine Finn going through her pregnancy symptoms. "I hope he can make it. He slipped in some of my amniotic fluid earlier and threw a little fit. I'm nervous he'll pass out or flee when the really gory stuff starts to happen."

"Finn does have a bit of weak stomach for blood, but he wouldn't miss the birth of your child for anything."

The door opened again and Finn walked in, a nurse behind him. Carole exited the room and left the nurse to check on Rachel's continued progress and once she deemed she had reached seven centimeters dilated, Rachel settled back in to bed.

"Why does my back hurt so much? My uterus is up front." She pouted at Finn and he handed her a popsicle.

He twirled his finger, motioning for her to flip over. Rachel got on her hands and knees and rested atop some pillows and Finn knelt behind her on the bed to start massaging while she enjoyed her cherry popsicle. He was just getting into it and making her feel so much more at ease when the door opened again.

"Is that the position you were in when she got pregnant?" Puck asked, smirking at the couple on the bed.

Quinn smacked him and walked over to the free chair sitting Ben on her lap, while he stood next to her, and Beth went over to the window to look at the flowers.

"One, it's rude to enter a room without knocking first, and two, no it is not. It's just more comfortable for my back right now."

"I had the same problem with Ben. All the pain was in my back. But with Beth it was just my abdomen. I hope with the third one it will be so quick and slippery she'll just shoot out without much pain at all."

"You mean _he'll_ just shoot out. We're having another boy."

"That's what you said about Beth. Then you thought Ben was a girl. You're not exactly batting a thousand when it comes to guessing our children's sexes."

"Eh, whatever. Already got one of each so I don't really care as long as it's healthy."

"How far along are you?" Quinn asked, moving on from the subject.

"Seventeen hours, seven centimeters."

"That's not too bad."

"Just have the kid by midnight or else Brittany wins another bet. I still cannot believe she was right about Ben."

"I don't even care about the bet anymore. I just want him out of me."

"Don't you dare give birth yet, Rachel! You have to wait for the sixth!" Brittany yelled as the door slammed open and she walked in without preamble, walking up to her belly and speaking directly to it. "You're too early, Teddy! Stay in there!"

"Don't listen to her. I am your mother. Come out whenever you want, baby."

Brittany did not look pleased that Rachel was already in the hospital. "He lied to me. He said he would be here on the sixth."

"He still could be," Santana added. "She's got another five hours to give birth on Finn's day or else we win." She linked pinkies with her wife and they shared a quick smooch on the lips. "Oh, we brought you these."

Finn took the gift box from Santana and opened it to find two onesies and a five set of pacifiers. "'I'm just a stud muffin looking for my cupcake', 'Cute like Mommy, Smelly like Daddy'," Finn read. He showed Rachel the onesies and she got a good giggle out of them.

"They're very cute."

"You didn't see the binkies. I picked them out." Brittany yanked them out of the box and showed her.

"That's adorable. Little mustaches."

"Now he can have a bangin' 'stache all the time...you know if he ever doesn't have your boob in his mouth. My favorite is the mutton chops."

Rachel looked at Santana who just shrugged. "Thanks. That was very nice of you to get for Teddy. I'm sure he will appreciate it."

"It's kind of a bribe. I thought maybe he'd stay in longer so I could win the bet if I appeased him like the Mayan gods. That's what I did last year to spare the world from the apocalypse and it totally worked. Lord Tubbington was not happy that he had to give up smoking for them. But I told him if he didn't give up smoking to save the world from ending then he would die and never be able to breed with his girlfriend, Lady Mary, down the street. He wanted kids more than he wanted to keep smoking so he quit."

The room went silent until Rachel started squealing, tugging on the pillows and scrunching her face in pain before her squeals turned to screams and she buried her face in the top pillow. As she hit her peak, the door opened and a man none of them knew wheeled in, Kurt behind him barking orders.

"Okay, really get in there and capture her pain. Close-up! Before the contraction ends!" Kurt pushed Wheelchair Man up to Rachel and he started snapping away with his camera.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell?" Finn jumped off the bed and pushed the random camera guy away from Rachel. "Kurt! What the fuck are you doing?"

"Photographing Rachel's labor and delivery for nostalgia and posterity's sake. I'm sure she'll want to remember today forever and show Teddy how he came into this world."

"I think the kid that comes at the end is a pretty big reminder," Finn raged. "Rachel is going through enough right now without some guy she doesn't know taking pictures of her at her most vulnerable." The man started getting pictures of Rachel turning around to see what was going on and when her gown fell open again and he took a few shots of her bare womanhood, Finn ripped the item out of his hands, tore the memory card out of it, and started bashing the camera against a garbage can until it broke into multiple pieces.

"Dude! You're going to pay for that! And it was not cheap," Wheelchair Man scowled, narrowing his eyes dangerously at him.

"No, he is!" Finn pointed an accusatory finger at Kurt who looked appalled. "You can't just come in here and start taking pictures of Rachel's lady parts while she's in labor! What is wrong with you?!"

"I'm just doing the job I was hired to do."

"Be a nuisance like the rest of the paparazzi?"

"I am not a paparazzo. I am a professional photographer and an aspiring director. Kurt hired me for the night."

"We would have been here sooner, but Artie was stuck in traffic coming back from a wedding in Long Island."

The door opened again and Dr. Pearl walked in, startling when she saw the amount of people in the room. "Okay, I don't know how you all got in here, but hospital policy is birth partner and two guests."

"We'll be the two guests!" Kurt raised his hand and grabbed Artie's raising it for him. "You have another camera, right?"

"Kurt, while I appreciate the thought, I really do not feel comfortable having someone taking pictures of one of the most intimate moments of my life. I would really prefer that Finn be the only guest in the room for the birth."

"But this is my gift to you. Artie is very expensive and I paid him already!"

"You can take pictures once Teddy is born. I have no problem with that. I just don't need a camera up my vagina. I have enough things coming out of it. Why don't you all go out to the waiting room and take pictures of family and friends eagerly awaiting news of Teddy's imminent birth for the baby book? I'm sure when Teddy is older he'll like to look back and see all the people who showed up to see him," Rachel suggested. She was growing tired of everyone watching her misery and wanted to suffer through quietly.

"I suppose. But we will be back to photograph my nephew when he arrives."

Everyone wished her luck and hoped the rest of her labor would go quickly and smoothly.

When everyone besides Dr. Pearl and Kurt had left, Finn and Rachel both gave him the stink eye. "Kurt, get the hell out of here."

"I haven't gotten to see Rachel at all. You've had her all day."

"After the shit you just tried to pull you're lucky if I even let you back in this room again. Now get out!" He shoved his brother out of the room and when he turned around, Dr. Pearl was between Rachel's legs checking out her cervix.

"Still at seven. Looks like you still have a few hours to go."

Rachel threw her head back in a fit and tears began to leak from her eyes. Finn moved to her side and took her hand in his, kissing the back of it. "Don't worry, babe. You'll get through this."

Unfortunately things didn't move quite as fast as they hoped after that either. It was nearing eleven pm when Rachel was giving up hope of ever reaching ten centimeters.

"So much for winning the bet. Looks like Brittany is going to be right again," she lamented, pressing a cold towel to her sweaty forehead. She had been unbearably hot and the hospital gown had been scratching her sensitive skin so much she ended up lying naked in bed to avoid the friction on her nipples and to cool down.

"Hey, don't give up yet. There's still an hour in this day."

"Finn, I wasn't even at nine centimeters the last time the nurse checked me. It takes about an hour for a first time mother to actually deliver the baby, at least."

"I still have a good feeling about today."

She gripped his hand as another contraction hit and squeezed so hard he thought she might break his fingers, but he didn't dare complain.

At the tail end of her contraction, Dr. Pearl and a nurse entered the room and performed another check. "Good news, Mom, Dad…you're fully dilated. Looks like it's time to start pushing finally."

"Thank God!" Rachel cheered, a genuine smile crossing her face for the first time in hours.

They put the back of the bed up, put her legs in stirrups and dropped the bottom half of the bed in preparation, and the entire time Finn watched in gross fascination.

After forty weeks of work, seven and a half months of waiting, and twenty-one hours of labor, Rachel was on the precipice of delivering their first child. It was the most prepared for unexpected event in either of their lives. Though Teddy was not planned, neither could say that he was not wanted nor loved. He was what brought them together and changed their lives forever.

"Okay baby, it's crunch time. You've been amazing so far. Just a little bit more and then you'll be done; you'll be a mommy and I'll be a daddy." He held her hand in both of his and kissed her knuckles. "We're almost there. You ready?"

"I've been ready for days now."

Dr. Pearl and the nurses in the room took their positions and prepared for their son's arrival. "Okay, Rachel, when you have your next contraction, start pushing."

Rachel nodded, absorbing her every word, clinging to Finn's hand for strength. She took a few deep breaths to prepare herself and bore down when told to do so. Time moved both slow and fast with each new push and Rachel was in excruciating pain.

"I can't…I can't… It burns…" she whined, crying as she took a break and stared at Finn. "I need the epidural."

"You don't need the epidural. You can do this, Rachel."

"Oh what do you know?! Have you ever pushed a bowling ball out your ass? Because that's exactly what it feels like I'm doing. So do not tell me what I can and cannot do!"

A small smile pulled up the corner of Dr. Pearl's mouth and she repositioned on her chair. "Rachel, you're going to need to push again. Pull on the backs of your thighs, it will help."

Too weak and distressed to hold her own legs back, Finn moved down to hold her foot and push on it while a nurse did the same to her other leg. She started pushing again and Finn happened to catch sight of the situation between her legs. His stomach rolled and he grew pale, feeling the bile and chunks rise in his throat.

"Finn?" Rachel called out when she stopped pushing. "Finn, don't you pass out on me!"

He was swaying dangerously on his feet, his grip slackening. His cheeks puffed out like he was about to barf. When she pushed one more time and bloody dark hair began to show on a little rounded scalp, he lost control of his faculties and puked on the floor right next to Rachel's bed.

"Are you kidding me?!" Rachel roared as she watched Finn bend over and continue to vomit. "Stop it! Stop!" She swatted at him and forgot about her pain as she pounded on his back. One of the nurses paged a few more nurses who rushed in quickly to lead Finn to the chair next to the bed and started cleaning the mess.

"Rachel!" Dr. Pearl yelled, snapping her attention back to the task at hand. "Focus. He's crowning right now. Only a few more pushes and he'll be out."

Her face and voice grew tender, "He's crowning?"

Dr. Pearl nodded and got ready to catch him as another contraction sent Rachel back into pushing. "One more push, Rachel." She strained to get him out and was relieved when she felt something slip out. "His shoulders are stuck. One more, Rachel." A nurse put a soft blanket over her chest and squeezed her shoulder in support and allowed her to hold her hand.

She pushed again and suddenly it was over. The feeling of something big there was gone and the searing pain had dissipated significantly. Then the most satisfying, thrilling, and beautiful sound rang out in the room – crying.

"Congratulations! It's a boy!" Dr. Pearl held the squirming red mass of wrinkles up and Rachel laid eyes on her son for the very first time. He was mad, little face crumpled as he wailed loudly, his little limbs flailing about. Dr. Pearl laid the child on the blanket and the nurse started rubbing him down to clean up the blood and Rachel was still so stunned by what she had just done to even move.

Once wiped down and wrapped up for the moment, her senses came back and she wrapped her hands around the infant in her arms. She pushed the blanket down to better see his face and gently stroked her fingers along his incredibly soft cheek while she held him to her chest. As her fingers made contact, his cries began to subside and he finally opened his eyes to look up at her. They were beautiful and so wide, a brilliant deep blue, and focused solely on her.

"Teddy. Hello," she cooed, running her fingers down his arm and taking his little hand and slipping her finger under his tiny ones.

"Rachel, we need to cut his cord. Do you think Finn will be up for it?"

She looked up at the doctor and saw her holding the tools to clamp his cord and she glanced over to Finn who still appeared a little out of it. "Finn…" She held Teddy in one arm and used the other to poke her stunned fiancé. "Finn."

He looked up from the floor and seemed to finally realize what was going on. "Yeah?"

"Our son is out. Did you want to cut his cord?"

Finn looked at the baby in Rachel's arms and a soft smiled tugged at his lips. "Teddy?"

"Yes, Finn. Teddy. The baby boy I spent over 40 weeks making…"

His smile spread further and he stood up slowly, moving to look down at his son. "Teddy, hey dude." He brushed his finger over his son's forehead and shivered a little, glancing up to Rachel. "He's real. I can't believe he's here. I'm a daddy."

Rachel smiled, chewing on her lower lip. "You're a daddy."

"Well daddy, did you want to do the honors or are you still a little squeamish?" Dr. Pearl held out some surgical scissors.

"Yeah," he started, sounding unsure of himself. He cleared his throat and tried again with more conviction. "Yeah, I'll cut it."

Dr. Pearl clamped down Teddy's cord and guided the scissors in Finn's hand to where he needed to cut. "It'll be a little tough so really squeeze."

Finn worked through the cord, grinning as he severed Teddy's physical line to his mother, at least until he cut through completely and blood sprayed him right in the face. His cheeks puffed out again and Rachel protectively covered Teddy.

"Finn, don't…Finn…"

A nurse turned him away toward a garbage can where he retched again before being led out of the room.

"He probably shouldn't be here for the delivery of the afterbirth. Don't worry, Louise will take good care of him."

Out in the hallway, Finn was taking deep breaths and holding his head between his knees while Louise rubbed his back. "At least you didn't pass out. I've seen a few fainters and those guys are hard to lift off the ground."

"I don't know what my problem is. I watch horror movies and I deal with bloody raw meat all the time and that never bothers me."

"It's different when you watch someone you love going through a disgusting physical process. To be honest, the first time I witnessed a birth back in nursing school, I blew chunks too. It's not as pretty as the movies make it out to be." She squeezed his shoulder. "We should probably clean the blood off your face then you can go tell your family the good news…daddy." Finn looked up at her and she winked before helping him to the nearest bathroom.

As they walked, a thought occurred to Finn. "Hey, did you notice what time it was when he was born?"

Out in the waiting room, everyone was growing impatient and antsy.

"Jesus Christ, how fucking long does it take to have a baby?" Puck whined. Quinn eyed him dangerously. "What? Beth and Ben both came out within two hours of you getting to the hospital."

"It's after midnight now. I totally won the pot." Brittany danced in her seat and Santana kissed her cheek.

"That's my girl."

"I still cannot believe Finn kicked me out of the room. I was just trying to help," Kurt complained for the hundredth time.

Santana growled, "Get over it, Kurt. You didn't even ask permission to photograph the Midget delivering. What did you think would happen when you brought in a paparazzo on wheels?"

"I am not a paparazzo! I am a legitimate photographer."

"Whatever, Professor X. Either way you shouldn't have barged in there and taken snapshots of Berry's vag like she's Britney Spears."

"How was I supposed to know she wasn't okay with it? I was hired by Kurt."

"That should have been your first clue, Sherlock."

The argument continued until Finn rounded the corner silencing everyone. "It's a boy!" he announced to everyone and they all cheered and stood from their seats. The group, which had grown since he kicked them out of the room, gathered around him and asked question after question about his weight, length, and mostly time of birth.

"I totally won the pot. I want stainless steel, Finn."

"It's not that kind of pot, Brittany, and besides, you didn't win."

"What? It's after midnight."

"Theodore Christopher Hudson was born at 11:58 pm on January 5th. Therefore, I win," he asserted smugly.

His mother took him in his arms and kissed his cheek. "Oh honey, congratulations. Now tell us more!"

He shrugged feeling lame about needing to leave the room. "I don't know more. I kinda had to leave the room because I threw up. I saw Teddy's head as it crowned and it just…" he shook his head as the memory came to him making him queasy again, "then I cut his cord and the blood spattered all over my face and I had to leave. They didn't weigh or measure him when I left."

"This is why women have babies," Quinn stated.

"Why don't you go find out what's happening with Rachel then come back when we're allowed to see her and Teddy?" Leroy suggested, holding Hiram as he cried big happy tears.

"Yeah, good idea. I'm sure the blood and stuff is cleaned up by now."

Finn went back to Rachel's room and when he arrived he found her talking with a nurse. When she noticed him, he blushed and rubbed the back of his neck bashfully.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Sorry I had to leave. That was just…it was intense."

"It's okay. Now we know not to let you watch. Dr. Pearl was just glad you didn't faint on her."

"Yeah, Louise said dads that faint are a pain in the ass to move."

Rachel giggled and Teddy jerked in her arms.

"So what's happening here?" Finn asked, coming to stand next to Rachel.

"We just weighed little Teddy and now we're measuring him," the nurse explained.

"How much did he weigh?"

"Eight pounds, six ounces…and he's 21 inches on the dot. And we're done for now. If you plan to breastfeed you can go ahead."

The nurse explained the basics of breastfeeding and when Rachel brushed her nipple along his mouth, his little lips parted and he licked her. Rachel couldn't contain the giggle that escaped her and Teddy started getting fussy until she calmed down and tried again. It took a few more tries to latch, but once he did, he suckled easily and his eyes drooped closed.

"When you're done we can take him to the nursery for his bath and exam and you can get some rest. If you'd like, we can bring him back once we're done. Women who choose to breastfeed usually prefer keeping baby close." Rachel nodded in agreement and the nurse wrote it on her chart. "I'll be back soon to check on you both. Congrats again. He's beautiful."

The nurse left Finn and Rachel alone in the room with their baby and Rachel scooted over and patted the spot next to her. Finn maneuvered into the bed and watched Teddy as he continued to eat.

"I don't know if he just enjoys eating or if he enjoys boobs, but either way, he gets it from me."

Rachel laughed and stroked his soft dark hair, careful to avoid his soft spot. "I can't believe he's finally here. It's so surreal."

"I know, we spent all that time planning and talking about it, but it never seemed like he would show up. But he did and it's…it's a little crazy. I'm a dad. You're a mom. We're parents. Holy shit, we're parents!"

"Finn!" she chastised, covering his little ear like he understood or was even paying attention. "Young ears."

"Rachel…"

"He may not understand now but someday he will. The sooner we get in the habit of controlling our language in front of him, the easier it will be in the future."

"Whatever you say." He lovingly put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

Rachel looked up at him with the utmost love in her shining eyes. "I love you too."

Teddy hiccupped and yawned before staring up at Rachel's face intently again. They both chuckled and Finn put his large hand on his son's tiny back. "And we love you too, little man."

"By the way, we won the bet. 11:58 pm on January 5th. Guess that feeling you had _was_ a good one."

"What can I say; I guess I'm just lucky. Even if I had been wrong, I'd still be lucky because either way, I'd still have you and Teddy."

Tears began to run down her cheeks and she leaned into Finn. "That is so cheesy, but so beautiful."

"That's us, cheesy and beautiful." He held her chin and tilted her head back, running his thumb over her bottom lip. "I'm so happy I accidentally knocked you up."

Rachel leaned up to kiss him and when she pulled away, looked down at the child they had created, that brought them together and changed their lives for good and for the better, and knew she felt exactly the same.

"Me too, Finn. Me too."

* * *

So, I've been giving it quite a bit of thought the past few days and I think I'm going to split this story in two. I still have a lot of this world to delve into and if I keep this continuous, it'll end up being like 60 chapters. Having decided this, there will be one more chapter of PFTW and then I will start its sequel, All the Days Between. But as I promised I would work on Dates after I finished PFTW, I will uphold that promise and write a Dates chapter before I start the sequel.

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll join in for AtDB.


	30. The Family

And so we come to the end of Pretend for the Weekend. It's been so much fun to write and I'm so glad all you readers enjoyed it. Thanks again for all your reviews, favorites, and follows. And though PFTW comes to an end, remember All the Days Between will be coming soon. Thank you! Enjoy!

* * *

_ Three minutes._

_ That's how long it would take to determine the rest of her life. _

_She waited until Blaine had left and kicked Snickerdoodle out of the bathroom, locking herself in with the box and her phone. She didn't need an audience to her shame. Positive or negative, either way the fact she was facing this predicament at all was enough to be distraught over._

_The test taken, the countdown in progress, Rachel sat on the toilet chewing on her lip while contemplating the future._

_If it was negative she could go about life as normal, remembering to carry a condom on her at all times, and use this as a wake-up call and an example of what not to do in the future._

_But if it was positive…_

_It couldn't be positive, no way. There was no scenario in which she, Rachel Barbra Berry, future star of the stage, was…was…expecting. Especially out of a one-night stand with her oafish womanizing boss, whom she barely knew. It just was not feasible._

_She sat in complete silence as the seconds ticked down, praying for a minus sign, a symbol of savior, proof that she hadn't made the biggest mistake of her life. She had so much to accomplish. So many goals unfulfilled. If that window showed a plus, those hopes and dreams were forever dashed, scattered to the wind like ashes._

_Her musing was interrupted when the alarm sounded to alert her that time was up. With a shaking hand, Rachel reached for the stick sitting on the sink and closed her eyes. Slowly, she spun the object in her hands and took a deep breath._

"_Moment of truth," she muttered to herself._

_Opening her eyes, it took a moment to focus on the result, but when she found it, the Earth screamed to a jarring halt._

_Plus sign._

_There was no denying it. The test was positive and Rachel Berry was completely, totally, irrevocably fucked._

Though she had read that babies as young as her Teddy couldn't smile, she was absolutely certain that he was as they stared at each other. From the moment they had placed her baby boy in her arms, she had been slightly obsessed with him – holding him, watching him, feeding him, even changing him.

He was beautiful, a perfect little mix of her and Finn, a head of soft dark hair with slight curls at the end, soft pale skin with pink undertones, wide curious eyes, a button nose, a drooly little mouth, and chubby little cheeks.

"I can't believe I ever thought you were the end of my life. You're only the beginning," she cooed at her Theodore, lightly running her hand over his little head. Every time she held him, he stared at her as if memorizing her face, trying to figure out just who she was.

Rachel had always believed that her success on Broadway and love and adoration received from her numerous fans were the only things in the universe that would ever make her truly happy, but as she held the fruit of her nine month effort, the beautiful boy she and Finn had created, forever changing their lives, she realized just how wrong she had been. Broadway and Tonys, fans and record contracts were all still goals she aspired to achieve, but somehow they weren't the end-all, be-all of who she was anymore. She had even more important things – more important people – to offer more than just her talent to, depending on her for more than her voice. Her career was no longer her only legacy, Theodore and Finn were too, and even if she never became a star, she would still have her greatest prize in her loved ones.

Slowly, Rachel rocked Teddy back and forth in his rocking chair. He had woken in the middle of the night, demanding to be fed, but once full refused to go back to sleep. His schedule was all over the place as he adjusted to life outside of the womb, which meant that Rachel's schedule was all over the place too. She tried to put him back into his bassinet and let him watch his mobile until he fell asleep again, but every time she put him down, he started to cry at extremely high decibels.

Rachel walked him around for a while but he was wide awake and unwilling to compromise. Finn offered to take him but he was falling asleep as he stood and put his slippers on the wrong feet. Wide awake herself, she sent Finn back to bed and while walking Teddy around some more, began to smell something gross. He squirmed in her arms and started crying in what she could only assume was discomfort at sitting in a poopy diaper.

Which was how she ended up in the nursery, rocking her still awake infant. Full, freshly changed, and swaddled in a teddy bear blanket, they sat in happy silence, staring at each other completely in awe. He was only two days old yet Rachel could barely remember life before Teddy was in hers.

"You are just the cutest little thing. And what's more, I think you already know it." She chuckled as Teddy finally yawned, eyes drooping slightly. "It's okay to go to sleep, Teddy." Softly she began to sing Elton John's Your Song, what she had deemed to be Teddy's lullaby ever since she and Finn had sung it together, and his eyes closed completely. But only for about two seconds until he forced them back open to continue watching her. "Teddy, I promise you won't miss anything if you go to sleep," she cut into her song. He yawned again and his eyes fluttered as he fought to stay awake when she started up again.

When nearly asleep, Rachel went back up to their bedroom and quietly hummed as she placed a now sleepy Teddy in his bassinet. He was on the precipice of sleep and she stepped away slowly, watching until he finally drifted off completely.

Celebrating silently, Rachel slipped back into bed and was immediately pulled against Finn as he turned and greeted her.

"He asleep?"

"Yes. He should be for a while now since he's full and changed."

"Good." Finn pressed a kiss to Rachel's cheek and nuzzled his nose under her ear. "You're such a good mom, Rachel."

"I try." She giggled quietly and turned to face her fiancé. "You're a good dad. I've never seen a man tackle a dirty diaper with such ease."

"Uncle Finn changed quite a few of Baby Beth and Baby Ben's stanky diapers. I got used to moving fast to avoid the poo as much as possible…and in Ben's case being peed on."

"Well, it was good training." Rachel yawned herself which caused Finn to yawn too. "Let's get some sleep before Teddy wakes up again."

"Sounds like a plan." Finn puckered up for a kiss and Rachel obliged before settling atop him on her stomach for use as a pillow, something she hadn't been able to do in a long while.

"I love you, Finn."

"I love you too, Rach."

She snuggled deeper against him and sighed in content, ready to slip back into dreams.

Until little whimpers sounded from the bassinet which, despite their whispered pleas asking for him to self-soothe and fall asleep again, turned into all out wails.

Finn sighed and carefully lifted Rachel off of him. "My turn. You get some rest."

"You sure? What if he needs to be fed?"

"You said he was full. I'm sure I can handle it."

"If you're sure."

Finn lifted Teddy out of the bassinet and cradled him against his chest. "Hey dude, what's wrong?" He bounced him and rubbed his back to no avail, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Before walking out of the room he and Rachel shared a glance in the moonlight. "It's gonna be a long night."

"Good luck," she called after him, blowing both her boys kisses.

As she settled into bed, Rachel thought again about how different her life ended up from what she had imagined, but she realized that she couldn't be happier with the new result.


End file.
